P&O Ferries scandal must be turning point for workers’ rights, says TUC
Union leaders call for a jobs bill and accuse ministers of failing to challenge firing of 800 workers
#P #OFerries #scandalmust
Ministers have serious questions to answer about the growing P&O Ferries scandal, which must be turned into a catalyst for improving workers' rights, the union congress said on Sunday.
After the P&O fired 800 workers on Thursday to replace them with cheaper contract workers, the TUC accused the government of standing by and failing to protect workers. As it turns out, ministers were informed in advance of the massive layoffs.
TUC secretary Frances O'Grady called on the government to "urgently introduce employment legislation to prevent workers from being treated as disposable - and to ensure that what happened at P&O doesn't happen again".
She accused ministers of failing to challenge the P&O over "ruthless tactics" and even questioned whether the actions were legal. "
O'Grady urged the company to immediately reinstate any employees it lays off without loss of wages.
Prime Minister Rishi Sunak has criticised the ferry company's treatment of workers.
"What we've seen is appalling, the way they treat workers, it's horrible, it's wrong," Sunak told the BBC.
He added that ministers were reviewing the actions of companies and whether they had complied with rules on layoffs.
Labor lawyers have been surprised by the company's sudden dismissal of 800 seafarers, saying P&O Ferries may have broken several laws that could trigger wrongful dismissal lawsuits.
Angry protests took place at ports across the UK over the weekend. Union leaders and politicians have joined the sacked P&O Ferries workers in Dover, Hull, Liverpool and Larne in growing anger over the company's decision and with further protests planned in the coming days, Including outside parliament on Monday.
On Sunday, P&O warned customers that its service "will not be operational for the next few days".
The company said it was advising passengers on alternative arrangements for its routes across the English Channel and Irish Sea.
P&O Ferries has been accused of exploiting a loophole in minimum wage laws to recruit cheap labor to crew its ships.
The company has previously been accused of hiring workers for £1.83 an hour. Union officials say P&O may be able to cut its labor costs by as much as half by using temporary workers instead of existing staff.
The Rail, Maritime and Transport Union (RMT) says it has found new crew on the Liverpool-Dublin route
#P #OFerries #scandalmust
Ministers have serious questions to answer about the growing P&O Ferries scandal, which must be turned into a catalyst for improving workers' rights, the union congress said on Sunday.
After the P&O fired 800 workers on Thursday to replace them with cheaper contract workers, the TUC accused the government of standing by and failing to protect workers. As it turns out, ministers were informed in advance of the massive layoffs.
TUC secretary Frances O'Grady called on the government to "urgently introduce employment legislation to prevent workers from being treated as disposable - and to ensure that what happened at P&O doesn't happen again".
She accused ministers of failing to challenge the P&O over "ruthless tactics" and even questioned whether the actions were legal. "
O'Grady urged the company to immediately reinstate any employees it lays off without loss of wages.
Prime Minister Rishi Sunak has criticised the ferry company's treatment of workers.
"What we've seen is appalling, the way they treat workers, it's horrible, it's wrong," Sunak told the BBC.
He added that ministers were reviewing the actions of companies and whether they had complied with rules on layoffs.
Labor lawyers have been surprised by the company's sudden dismissal of 800 seafarers, saying P&O Ferries may have broken several laws that could trigger wrongful dismissal lawsuits.
Angry protests took place at ports across the UK over the weekend. Union leaders and politicians have joined the sacked P&O Ferries workers in Dover, Hull, Liverpool and Larne in growing anger over the company's decision and with further protests planned in the coming days, Including outside parliament on Monday.
On Sunday, P&O warned customers that its service "will not be operational for the next few days".
The company said it was advising passengers on alternative arrangements for its routes across the English Channel and Irish Sea.
P&O Ferries has been accused of exploiting a loophole in minimum wage laws to recruit cheap labor to crew its ships.
The company has previously been accused of hiring workers for £1.83 an hour. Union officials say P&O may be able to cut its labor costs by as much as half by using temporary workers instead of existing staff.
The Rail, Maritime and Transport Union (RMT) says it has found new crew on the Liverpool-Dublin route
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