Govt threatens P&O Ferries with prosecution if company broke law over sacking of 800 seafarers
Business minister Paul Scully has warned P&O Ferris could face prosecution if they are considered to have broken the law over the sacking of 800 seafarers.
Scully told the BBC’s Radio 4 Today programme: “If they have flouted the notification law where they are supposed to tell the Secretary of State when they are going to make more than a hundred people redundant, then there are criminal sanctions involved in that, including an unlimited fine.
“We have reserved the right to approach the prosecuting authorities should that be the right thing to do.”
Mr Scully said Transport Secretary Grant Shapps was reviewing all Government contracts and dealings with the company and its owners, DP World.
“They need to realise that the relationship between the companies and the Government has changed as a result of their absolutely callous (conduct),” he said.
Asked if that could include a £25 million subsidy to DP World to help develop London Gateway as a freeport, Mr Scully said: “We will look into all of these things as part of this.”
Labour shadow business secretary Jonathan Reynolds said the Government “should have moved” to stop P&O Ferries sacking 800 of its staff.
He told BBC Breakfast: “I want to know what sort of questions was the Government asking?
“It was clear when that memo was sent to the Government this was something out of the ordinary and unfortunately, businesses often have to restructure, I wouldn’t expect a Cabinet member to be told of every case of that.
“But to be told yesterday that they did know in advance what was going on, first of all, they should have moved to stop that and they can still move to stop that, it’s no good saying it will help people get jobs who’ve been sacked in this way.
“We cannot allow this to stand because this becomes the template for how these things are done in the UK from now on.”