P&O owner praises ‘amazing job’
CHIEF EXECUTIVE ‘PRAISED MANAGEMENT’ OVER THE DECISION TO RESTRUCTURE FIRM
THE chief executive of P&O Ferries’ parent company is said to have praised management over the decision to restructure the firm and sack 800 members of staff, including many here in Hull.
The National Union of Rail, Maritime and Transport Workers (RMT) says it is appalled by alleged comments from DP World Chief Executive Ahmed bin Sulayem who defended P&O’S sacking of almost 800 crew in March. RMT General Secretary Mick Lynch said Sultan Sulayem was cheering on what he dubbed the gangster capitalists P&O, accusing them of trashing the law and maritime safety standards.
A P&O spokesperson declined to comment after Hull Live approached the company for a response to Sultan Sulayem’s remarks. It comes as DP World’s chief executive told the Financial Times P&O’S sacking of crews, including 82 workers in Hull, was in the past.
While speaking at the World Economic Forum he said things could have been different if the Government helped P&O during the coronavirus pandemic despite it receiving £11m in furlough money. P&O Chief Executive Peter Hebblethwaite claimed crews were sacked without warning on Thursday, March 17 to stop the entire company collapsing after mounting losses.
The DP World boss told the Financial Times: “Peter has done an amazing job because he managed to save the company instead of 3,000 people being out of a job. The decision was their decision, I personally feel they were caught with a choice to make.
“I told them the decision was theirs and we did not interfere and tell them what to do.” Sultan Sulayem also said no one was hurt following the sackings because only one worker turned down redundancy terms.
Mr Lynch said the comments could not be tolerated. The union boss said: “Employers like P&O, hell-bent on attacking workers’ rights to profit their owners in Dubai, must face effective legal consequences at an international level.”
The DP World boss’s remarks also come after the RMT slammed Mr Hebblethwaite’s promotion to a directorship in P&O in April, calling it a complete insult to workers. March’s sackings and the decision to replace crews with low-paid agency staff from overseas sparked an outcry from trade unions and politicians.
Transport Secretary Grant Shapps called for Mr Hebblethwaite to resign and referred him to the Insolvency Service, ordering an inquiry to see if he was fit to remain in post.
Mr Hebblethwaite told Parliament’s Transport Select Committee P&O’S board of directors knew they were breaking the law but said he stood by the decision.
The chief executive told the BBC he was incredibly sorry for the effect the sackings had on crews. It comes as P&O’S losses have mounted since 2019 when it was bought by DP World.
Its losses are thought to have swelled to around £100m during the last financial year.