Transport secretary vows to force P&O to pay UK minimum wage and ‘U-turn’ on firing decision
Transport secretary Grant Shapps has said he will force ferry operators to pay UK minimum wage whilst they’re in international waters, after calling for P&O boss Peter Hebblethwaite to resign from his position as head of the Dubai owned firm.
The Tory minister said he will close the “loopholes” that let shipping companies pay seafarers less than the UK’s minimum wage whilst at sea.
The Conservative MP also said he would force P&O to reverse its decision, after the firm fired 800 workers, without consultation, over a pre-recorded video call.
Shapps comments come after P&O head Hebblethwaite yesterday admitted those hired to replace the fired ferry staff would be paid just £5.50 while in international waters – a rate well below the UK’s minimum wage.
For his role at P&O Hebblethwaite receives a basic salary of £325,000 a year, plus bonuses.
Speaking on Sky News, the transport secretary said: “We are not having people working from British ports… plying regular routes between here and France or here and Holland, or (anywhere) else, and failing to pay the minimum wage.”
“We are going to legally require them to go back on it they might as well start on that now,” Shapps said.
“If they haven’t got the right leadership to do it at the moment, and I think we saw through that brazen, breathtaking arrogance that they don’t, then they will probably need to think about sorting that out first.”
The comments come after P&O chief executive Hebblethwaite faced an interrogation from MP’s yesterday, at a transport select committee. During the interrogation, Hebblethwaite admitted P&O “chose” to break the law.
Speaking to Sky News, Shapps slammed the ferry boss for showing “incredible arrogance” as he vowed to put forward a “package of measures” to “force” P&O to make a “U-turn.”
“I thought what the boss of P&O said yesterday about knowingly breaking the law was brazen and breathtaking, and showed incredible arrogance,” Shapps said.