P&O chose to break the law by not consulting before sacking 800 staff because it knew "no union would accept our proposal", the head of the ferry company has told MPs - as he revealed new workers are being paid between 5.15 and 6 an hour.
Peter Hebblethwaite, chief executive of P&O Ferries, told a Commons select committee a "consultation process would have been a sham" so they did not engage in one ahead of the shock redundancy of hundreds of staff last week via Zoom.
MPs were incredulous as they asked him to confirm if the company chose to break employment law by failing to consult.
Shapps instructs full review of maritime employment laws
Transport Secretary Grant Shapps later tweeted: "However you try spin it, P&O Ferries has ripped up 800 workers' rights and hung them out to dry.
"I've instructed a FULL review of our maritime employment laws and will be strengthening protections for seafarers' minimum wages - I will share an update in the coming days."
When asked at the joint hearing of the Transport and Business Select Committees whether he would make the decision again, Mr Hebblethwaite said he would as it has saved the business.
"I completely throw our hands up, my hands up, that we did choose not to consult. We did not believe there was any other way to do this" he told MPs.
'No union would accept our proposals'
Since the sackings, it has been claimed P&O replaced workers, who Mr Hebblethwaite said earned 36,000 a year, with agency...
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