PM tells MPs ferry firm could face fine as its boss apologises over sudden firing of 800 staff
Boris Johnson has said it appears P&O Ferries broke the law when it suddenly sacked 800 workers, and that the government would take legal action.
The prime minister said if the company was found guilty, it could face fines running into the millions – but ignored Labour calls for government intervention to reinstate workers or to sanction P&O Ferries’ parent company, DP World.
Johnson made the comments during prime minister’s questions, shortly after the boss of P&O Ferries issued a public apology for the sacking last Thursday of almost 800 UK-based crew contracted via Jersey.
Pressed on the issue by the Labour leader, Keir Starmer, Johnson said: “We will not sit by, because under section 194 of the Trade Union and Labour Relations Act of 1992 it looks to me as though the company concerned has broken the law, and we will be taking action, therefore, and we will be encouraging workers themselves to take action under the 1996 Employment Rights Act.”
He said they would also be taking steps to protect all mariners working in UK waters and ensure that they are all paid the living wage.
However, Johnson ruled out taking further action against the Dubai-based owner of P&O Ferries, DP World, which is to benefit from 50m of tax breaks by running two of the government’s new freeports.
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