In a letter to the head of the company Peter Hebblethwaite, Grant Shapps said that the proposals submitted to parliament will “ensure that seafarers are protected from such actions”. “Through this package, I intend to prevent the outcome sought by P&O Ferries, including the payment of employees below the minimum wage,” added the transport secretary. He said this would give P&O “another chance” to offer all 800 employees their jobs back on previous terms, conditions and wages – if they were to return them. Use the Chrome browser for a more accessible video player 0:37 ‘Did you choose to break the law?’ Mr Saps said: “To be clear, our package will prevent breaches of the law, even when it is being done knowingly. “With this in mind, I would also suggest abolishing the deadlines imposed on sailors to respond to your offer of dismissal by March 31st. “Given that we intend to ensure that such results are prevented by laws – which we will ensure you can not simply choose to ignore – I believe you will have little choice but to reverse your decision in any case.” P&O’s Dover-Calais route remains suspended following the dismissal of their employees. The Shipping and Coast Guard said it was inspecting the carrier’s Pride of Kent at Dover Harbor to make sure it was safe – with a full inspection later required to continue passenger and cargo services. Use the Chrome browser for a more accessible video player 0:47 Former P&O employee: “What an absolute insult!” He demands that the boss of P&O resign In a letter to the company’s boss, released on Monday, Mr Shapps wrote: “Not only were your letters of March 22 to the Secretary of Business and to me unsatisfactory, but also your appearance at the Transport Selection Committee, in which you boldly admitted that you were violating labor law, undoubtedly proved your contempt for employees who your company has offered years of service. “There is no excuse for this behavior, and as I said publicly on Friday, I believe your position as CEO, and indeed as a company manager, has become unfounded.” The two chairmen of the Committees of the Communities, Mr Hebblethwaite, who testified last week, also called for him to resign and called on the government to prosecute P&O Ferries and revoke its UK license after admitting that the company had broken labor law. Mr Hebblethwaite told lawmakers last week: “There is absolutely no doubt that we should have consulted with the unions. We have chosen not to do so.” Huw Merriman, chairman of the Transport Selection Committee, and Darren Jones, chairman of the Business Selection Committee, wrote in a letter to Business Secretary Kwasi Kwarteng on Monday: “P&O Ferries CEO Peter Hebblethwaite has shown his contempt. “He is not fit and proper to run a company that manages critical national infrastructure. He has to resign and be fired as a company manager.” Image: Peter Hebblethwaite is CEO of P&O Ferries Rival ferry operators intervene The two letters were made public as the bosses of rival shipping companies DFDS and Stena Lines were due to meet with government officials amid concerns over port chaos over the Easter holidays. A spokesman for the Ministry of Transport said that ministers “are working to understand how we can ensure the continuation of services in cooperation with other agencies”. Stena’s director of fleet and government affairs, Ian Hampton, is expected to attend, along with union representatives. Hundreds of P&O workers were fired without notice on March 17 and hired as low-wage replacements, a move that angered unions, politicians and customers of the 150-year-old shipping brand. There were demonstrations in the ports of Dover, Liverpool and Hull on Saturday with some protesters shouting: “P&O, shame on you”. Mr Hebblethwaite had denied that the company had violated criminal law, but on Thursday admitted that P&O had violated labor law by failing to consult unions and staff. The study estimated a cost of 30 309 million to maintain P&O during the consultation Meanwhile, the PA news agency reported that P&O Ferries conducted a study last year looking at options to retain the company. The study estimated a cost of 9 309m to keep the company afloat for at least three months, while advising staff on job losses. He decided not to fully consult staff on the planned job cuts, with a source telling PA that a lengthy consultation could have disrupted the business and affected customer confidence. P&O believes that the loss of 800 employees will protect the company and the jobs of 2,200 other employees in the long run. Use the Chrome browser for a more accessible video player 2:53 The P&O ship was detained as the protests continued “We needed a fundamental change” – P&O A company spokesman said: “More than 90% of the affected seafarers are in discussions to proceed with the dismissal offers. “We mourn the loss of people and their families for the impact it has had on them. They lost their job and there is anger and shock, which we fully understand. “We needed fundamental changes to make the business viable. This was an incredibly difficult decision to fight, but once we realized it was the only way to save the business, we had to act. “All other routes led to the loss of 3,000 jobs and the closure of P&O Ferries. “By making this difficult choice we have guaranteed the future viability of P&O Ferries and secured the commercial capacity of Britain. “We are committed to ensuring continued support for all those former and current employees who are affected.” Mick Lynch, general secretary of the Railways, Shipping and Transportation Association, said: responsibility for their grotesque actions “.
