WTF is going on at P&O

[petej]

Enjoyed Elthick getting heckled

[shaggy]

The government have responded by sending strongly worded letters to the P&O chairman...

.... Who resigned last year

So now we know when the Chairman knew of this plan .... so it would be good if there was an urgent question from say the SNP, to
ask the Pritster if her Ministry was aware that when it issued these Visas, that they were replacing all the existing crews

Why would they be issuing visas? The vessels trade internationally.

[Dinsdale Piranha]

They're losing a fair few quid and thought this would be a good cost-saving - sacking permanent employees and bringing in poverty-wage temp workers.

They'll be slaughtered for constructive dismissal.

Well if they have been made redundant, legally their positions no longer exist in the organisation so P&O cannot rehire to the same positions for 6 months.

British Airways pulled the same stunt last year. Lose your job or sign a new contract with IAG for 10 - 20% less. Same job, same desk. I assume there’s some loophole if you claim you are shutting down the whole department.

[fishfoodie]

There's no way the Government knew nothing of this.

It'll take a few days, but I'm sure someone in the CS will leak ,a letter, or whatever, but we've all seen how long it took the Home Office to issue 800 visas, with the entire CS helping them !

It also shows the vaunted, Points Based Immigration system for the fraud it is, because there's no way that a large number of this people are earning the ~£35k minimum wage.

P&O had everything setup & ready to go simultaneously; down to the hired thugs to throw the unsurprisingly pissed off staff off the ferries.

Well that didn't take long ....

Government ministers knew about P&O Ferries’ plan to slash 800 jobs before staff were informed but were told by officials it would ensure the firm remained “a key player in the UK market for years to come”, it was claimed on Saturday.

A leaked memo, apparently written by a senior Whitehall official, justified the mass redundancies, stating that “without these decisions, an estimated 2,200 staff would likely lose their jobs”.

The memo, said to have been written before ferry staff were told their jobs were being lost last Thursday, said the redundancies “will align them [P&O] with other companies in the market who have undertaken a large reduction in staff previously”.

The memo was “widely shared across government”, including copies to the prime minister’s private office while the transport secretary, Grant Shapps, is understood to have received a copy, the Sunday Times reported.

https://www.theguardian.com/business/20 ... s-sackings

[SaintK]

There's no way the Government knew nothing of this.

It'll take a few days, but I'm sure someone in the CS will leak ,a letter, or whatever, but we've all seen how long it took the Home Office to issue 800 visas, with the entire CS helping them !

It also shows the vaunted, Points Based Immigration system for the fraud it is, because there's no way that a large number of this people are earning the ~£35k minimum wage.

P&O had everything setup & ready to go simultaneously; down to the hired thugs to throw the unsurprisingly pissed off staff off the ferries.

Well that didn't take long ....

Government ministers knew about P&O Ferries’ plan to slash 800 jobs before staff were informed but were told by officials it would ensure the firm remained “a key player in the UK market for years to come”, it was claimed on Saturday.

A leaked memo, apparently written by a senior Whitehall official, justified the mass redundancies, stating that “without these decisions, an estimated 2,200 staff would likely lose their jobs”.

The memo, said to have been written before ferry staff were told their jobs were being lost last Thursday, said the redundancies “will align them [P&O] with other companies in the market who have undertaken a large reduction in staff previously”.

The memo was “widely shared across government”, including copies to the prime minister’s private office while the transport secretary, Grant Shapps, is understood to have received a copy, the Sunday Times reported.

https://www.theguardian.com/business/20 ... s-sackings

Grant Shapps says he was very surprised and angry to hear it announced

[C69]

The government have responded by sending strongly worded letters to the P&O chairman...

.... Who resigned last year

who votes for these morons?

[fishfoodie]

and it looks increasingly like the workers have no legal case, because "Failing Grayling", & the Tories fucked them over !

P&O Ferries sackings: Change in law signed off by Chris Grayling meant P&O didn't need to tell govt, maritime lawyer says

While senior government officials have claimed that the sacking of 800 workers by P&O Ferries was illegal, a specialist in maritime law argues that is incorrect.

A change in the law signed off by former Conservative minister Chris Grayling cleared the way for P&O Ferries to legally sack 800 staff last week without telling the government, a leading maritime lawyer has told Sky News.

Legislation to protect employees in the UK was amended by Mr Grayling in 2018 so that the secretary of state does not have to be notified of mass redundancies on ships registered overseas.

P&O Ferries made the widely condemned move last week, dismissing staff without notice on ships registered in Cyprus and the Bahamas and replacing them with agency workers.

The government has threatened the firm with unlimited fines, with Business Secretary Kwasi Kwarteng writing to its chief executive claiming "clear rules" include "notifying, in advance … the Secretary of State."

"Failure to meet the notification obligation is a criminal offence and can lead to an unlimited fine," he wrote.

But Kevin Barnett, head of employment at marine law specialists Lester Aldridge LLP, told Sky News that Mr Grayling's amendment removed the need to notify the government.

It's almost as if P&O knew exactly what they were doing, & the Government were a bunch of clueless, incompetent, morons ?

https://news.sky.com/story/p-o-ferries- ... s-12572920

[Jimmy Smallsteps]

and it looks increasingly like the workers have no legal case, because "Failing Grayling", & the Tories fucked them over !

P&O Ferries sackings: Change in law signed off by Chris Grayling meant P&O didn't need to tell govt, maritime lawyer says

While senior government officials have claimed that the sacking of 800 workers by P&O Ferries was illegal, a specialist in maritime law argues that is incorrect.

A change in the law signed off by former Conservative minister Chris Grayling cleared the way for P&O Ferries to legally sack 800 staff last week without telling the government, a leading maritime lawyer has told Sky News.

Legislation to protect employees in the UK was amended by Mr Grayling in 2018 so that the secretary of state does not have to be notified of mass redundancies on ships registered overseas.

P&O Ferries made the widely condemned move last week, dismissing staff without notice on ships registered in Cyprus and the Bahamas and replacing them with agency workers.

The government has threatened the firm with unlimited fines, with Business Secretary Kwasi Kwarteng writing to its chief executive claiming "clear rules" include "notifying, in advance … the Secretary of State."

"Failure to meet the notification obligation is a criminal offence and can lead to an unlimited fine," he wrote.

But Kevin Barnett, head of employment at marine law specialists Lester Aldridge LLP, told Sky News that Mr Grayling's amendment removed the need to notify the government.

It's almost as if P&O knew exactly what they were doing, & the Government were a bunch of clueless, incompetent, morons ?

https://news.sky.com/story/p-o-ferries- ... s-12572920

[SaintK]

and it looks increasingly like the workers have no legal case, because "Failing Grayling", & the Tories fucked them over !

P&O Ferries sackings: Change in law signed off by Chris Grayling meant P&O didn't need to tell govt, maritime lawyer says

While senior government officials have claimed that the sacking of 800 workers by P&O Ferries was illegal, a specialist in maritime law argues that is incorrect.

A change in the law signed off by former Conservative minister Chris Grayling cleared the way for P&O Ferries to legally sack 800 staff last week without telling the government, a leading maritime lawyer has told Sky News.

Legislation to protect employees in the UK was amended by Mr Grayling in 2018 so that the secretary of state does not have to be notified of mass redundancies on ships registered overseas.

P&O Ferries made the widely condemned move last week, dismissing staff without notice on ships registered in Cyprus and the Bahamas and replacing them with agency workers.

The government has threatened the firm with unlimited fines, with Business Secretary Kwasi Kwarteng writing to its chief executive claiming "clear rules" include "notifying, in advance … the Secretary of State."

"Failure to meet the notification obligation is a criminal offence and can lead to an unlimited fine," he wrote.

But Kevin Barnett, head of employment at marine law specialists Lester Aldridge LLP, told Sky News that Mr Grayling's amendment removed the need to notify the government.

It's almost as if P&O knew exactly what they were doing, & the Government were a bunch of clueless, incompetent, morons ?

https://news.sky.com/story/p-o-ferries- ... s-12572920

Chris Grayling!!! Couldn't have been anyone else really?
The incompetent's incompetent

[weegie01]

Chief executive admits breaking employment law and says there is "absolutely no doubt" that unions should have been consulted.

In his first public appearance since the sackings, Mr Hebblethwaite admitted breaking employment law and said there was "absolutely no doubt" the ferry operator was required to consult unions before pushing ahead with the mass sackings.

"We chose not to consult and we are, and will, compensate everybody in full for that," he said, adding that P&O did not think unions would approve the sackings.

https://www.telegraph.co.uk/business/20 ... broke-law/

[fishfoodie]

Chief executive admits breaking employment law and says there is "absolutely no doubt" that unions should have been consulted.

In his first public appearance since the sackings, Mr Hebblethwaite admitted breaking employment law and said there was "absolutely no doubt" the ferry operator was required to consult unions before pushing ahead with the mass sackings.

"We chose not to consult and we are, and will, compensate everybody in full for that," he said, adding that P&O did not think unions would approve the sackings.

https://www.telegraph.co.uk/business/20 ... broke-law/

It always felt like the Company had just decided to lay everyone off, & ran the numbers & saw it was cheaper, & easier to not consult, & just pay them a few extra quid in compensation.

I feel sorry for the workers, but the plums in the Union who advised their members to vote for Brexit, should be strung up by their balls.

The reason P&O re-flagged the ferries was in part down to the brinkmanship of the Tories, so they re-flagged outside of the UK.

P&O Ferries Flagging Out Dover-Calais Fleet to Cyprus

January 23, 2019, by World Maritime News
Pan-European ferry and logistics company P&O Ferries has decided to flag out its Dover-Calais fleet from UK to Cyprus flag amid Brexit-related concerns.

Specifically, by switching its flag to Cyprus the company aims to benefit from the tax arrangements in place in the European Union.

“In advance of Britain leaving the European Union on March 29, 2019, we undertook a review of the flag status of our ships on the English Channel. For operational and accounting reasons, we have concluded that the best course of action is to re-flag all ships to be under the Cyprus flag,” a spokesman for P&O Ferries said in a statement.

“The Cyprus flag is on the ‘white list’ of both the Paris and Tokyo Memoranda of Understanding, resulting in fewer inspections and delays, and will result in significantly more favourable tonnage tax arrangements as the ships will be flagged in an EU member state.”

The UK’s National Union of Rail, Maritime and Transport Workers (RMT) has condemned the move.

“This is pure opportunism from P&O, whose long term aim has always been to switch the UK fleet to a tax haven register, as they have already done with most of the Irish Sea and North Sea fleet. We demand immediate assurance from P&O that the pay and terms and conditions of over 730 RMT members in Dover are not under threat from this move,” RMT General Secretary Mick Cash said.

“If P&O think they can use Brexit as a smokescreen for introducing the low cost crewing model on the vital Dover-Calais route then they have got another think coming.”

According to P&O Ferries, there are no plans to make any other changes, including the terms and conditions of any of the seafarers, as a result of the new arrangements.

The reflagging concerns six ships and comes as the UK nears what is likely to be a no-deal Brexit from the European Union.

https://www.offshore-energy.biz/po-ferr ... to-cyprus/

[dpedin]

If a Chief Exec has gone to HoC and declared he has deliberately broken the law and states he would do the same again then is he a fit and proper person to remain as an Executive Director? Can he not be disqualified from being a Director of a limited company for deliberately not meeting legal requirements in the UK and indeed stating he would repeat this if required? Or is it just financial indiscretions that fall under this category ie dodgy accounts?

[Rhubarb & Custard]

The HoC does need a response to a CEO saying paying compensation is a better use of resources than an expensive tick box exercise for consultants/unions/lawyers that would in any event arrive at the same position

[dpedin]

'Tick box exercise' = adhering to the law of the land. Dodgy precedent here if companies can break the law if they have decided it is cheaper to just pay the compensation and fine. Individuals who make these decisions need to be held to account ie being disqualified from holding directorships.

[rockfield]

If a Chief Exec has gone to HoC and declared he has deliberately broken the law and states he would do the same again then is he a fit and proper person to remain as an Executive Director? Can he not be disqualified from being a Director of a limited company for deliberately not meeting legal requirements in the UK and indeed stating he would repeat this if required? Or is it just financial indiscretions that fall under this category ie dodgy accounts?

Would be a bit ironic for them to get on their high horse given the current Governments stated threat / intention to break international law on the NI protocol.

[Rhubarb & Custard]

'Tick box exercise' = adhering to the law of the land. Dodgy precedent here if companies can break the law if they have decided it is cheaper to just pay the compensation and fine. Individuals who make these decisions need to be held to account ie being disqualified from holding directorships.

still, it is only a box ticking exercise and the spend involved across unions, consultants and lawyers doesn't go to the workers. basically if the aim is protection then something more is warranted, or indeed one may accept something of a laissez faire approach

it's a fine exercise if the company is wiling to engage, if they're not then whilst it doesn't do nothing (and if nothing else it alerts the workers which is important) more is needed. if more is wanted anyway

[fishfoodie]

PM backs calls for P&O Ferries boss Peter Hebblethwaite to resign

The prime minister has backed calls for the boss of P&O Ferries to resign over the no-notice sackings of 800 staff.

Transport Secretary Grant Shapps called for Peter Hebblethwaite to step down after his "brazen" law breaking.

Mr Hebblethwaite admitted to MPs that he broke the law by not consulting workers but said he would do the same again if he had to.

Asked if Boris Johnson supported Mr Shapps call for P&O's boss to quit, a No 10 spokesman said: "Yes."

Transport committee chairman Conservative Huw Merriman had made the same call on Thursday.

He said: "It's untenable to come to parliament and say you decided to break the law, you have no regrets."

So they want him sacked for telling the truth to Parliament, but refuse to resign themselves when they lie to Parliament. Have I got that right ?

[Biffer]

Caledonian MacBrayne, or CalMac run the ferries to the Scottish islands

I think they are owned by the Scottish Government

Given the low prices and the very old ferries I think that's a safe assumption.
As I understand it this is just part of P&O as well?

Utterly disgraceful stuff, you wonder how the execs slept last night pulling a tactic like this.

No, Scottish Government owned

CalMac run the Western Isles ferries. Shetland ferries are provided by Northlink, which is owned by Serco.