P&O DEBACLE THE RESULT OF ERODING WORKERS’ RIGHTS

THE P&O Ferries debacle has exposed what happens when corporate ‘business’ practice turns predatory and government colludes. This is a moment of abandoning ‘levelling up’ and ‘taking back control’ in favour of ‘scaling up inequality.’

For decades now workers’ rights have been eroded systematically to the point where now far too many workers are considered to be disposable units of production with no rights whatsoever. P&O was the inevitable outcome.

It is considered legitimate by the owners and managers of P&O to fire hundreds of British workers and immediately replace them with foreign agency workers, at a fraction of the cost.

Government knew about this at least the day before and did nothing to stop it. Conservatives have consistently, over many years, opposed legislation to stop ‘fire and rehire’ practices.

However you look at it, the Conservative Party has enabled this culture over decades and must accept significant responsibility. But what can they do about it?

They could pressure P&O to do the right thing, perhaps using the subsidies from the taxpayer that P&O receives.

They could introduce and prioritise legislation to stop ‘fire and rehire.’

They could sort out Brexit so that the revenue from freight P&O has lost is regained.

Or they could just fake indignation and stonewall until attention is diverted away in the next news cycle – as they have done so often.

If they choose the latter, as is likely, our only way to hold them to account is by voting against them in elections. Unless they get a strong message in the May council elections this can only get worse.