Labours slams P&O ‘fire and rehire’

We stand in solidarity with all those affected today, the staff and their families, and our friends and colleagues in the trade union movement against the callous behaviour of P&O Ferries today in the sacking of 800 staff including many in Kent. The way that this has been done is shameful and disgraceful and the management and owners of the company and their parent company should hang their heads in shame and should also be offering their resignations. If the reports are true that these qualified and experienced staff are to be replaced on the same routes and ships with cheaper labour then this is even more shameful.

Not so long ago this company applied for taxpayers money to bail them out while at the same time according to our colleagues in the RMT also were due to pay out a huge dividend to shareholders. They also received furlough taxpayers money from Government for staff during the pandemic despite this huge alleged dividend.

We call on the Government and local authorities to intervene to ensure that local jobs here in the County of Kent and across the Country are safeguarded and protected, that there is a full investigation and inquiry with accountability into this shambles and that efforts are made to reclaim any taxpayers money that has been paid out to this private company at the expense of the taxpayer so this can be redistributed to support staff and families affected.

County Councillor Dr Lauren Sullivan – Leader of the Opposition and Leader of the Labour Group
County Councillor Karen Constantine – Deputy Leader of the Labour Group
County Councillor Alister Brady
County Councillor Kelly Grehan
County Councillor Mel Dawkins
County Councillor Jackie Meade
County Councillor Barry Lewis