Warning it may face fines into the “millions of pounds”, the PM urged sacked crew to take action as well. In a feisty Prime Minister’s Questions, Mr Johnson failed to clarify if he had read a briefing note about the proposed sackings sent 24 hours before the dismissals. As protests continued outside P&O sites yesterday, he said: “It looks to me as though the company concerned has broken the law.
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“We will be taking action... and we will be encouraging workers themselves to take action under the 1996 Employment Rights Act. We will be taking steps to protect all mariners who are working in UK waters and ensure that they are all paid the Living Wage.”
But he ruled out further action against DP World, the Dubai-based owner of P&O Ferries, which is to benefit from £50million of tax breaks by running two of the Government’s new freeports.
Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer said other workers would fear for their jobs if P&O “got away with it”. The firm axed 786 on eight ships, bringing in foreign crew earning as little as £1.80 an hour.
Former P&O chairman and Tory frontbench peer Lord Sterling of Plaistow called DP World’s conduct “totally unforgiveable”.
P&O claimed yesterday that it had not not acted illegally.