The British government will take legal action over the compulsory dismissal without prior consultation of nearly 800 sailors by the ferry company P&O, Prime Minister Boris Johnson announced in Parliament on Wednesday.
Read alsoAt the bottom of the wave, P&O unleashes a political storm
"
We are
taking legal action" based on the 1992 Labor Act, "
we will take them to court and defend the rights of British workers
", declared Boris Johnson on this affair which has caused a scandal for almost a year. week.
“
It seems to me that the company concerned has broken the law and we will take action, and encourage the employees
” to take legal action on their side, further specified the Prime Minister.
“
If the company is found guilty they face fines of millions of pounds
,” he adds.
Notified by videoconference
On Thursday, P&O created consternation in the United Kingdom by announcing the abolition overnight of nearly 800 seafaring positions, citing heavy losses that threaten its survival.
This subsidiary of DP World, a port operator based in Dubai, has been hit hard by the Covid-19 pandemic and the annihilation of tourism and international travel.
The case has caused a stir in particular because the employees are being replaced by new sailors supplied by a contract company who, according to the unions, are largely foreigners.
Many sailors were also warned by videoconference, without any prior notification or union consultations.
In a letter sent to the government on Tuesday evening, the company still affirms that it would not have survived by engaging in consultations which, according to it, would have weakened it even more and would nevertheless have ultimately resulted in layoffs.
In this missive, P&O also suggests that dockside jobs in the United Kingdom could also be subject to job cuts but that employees will be “
consulted
”.
Read alsoThe British P&O Cruises postpones the resumption of cruises until 2021
On Wednesday, a spokesperson for the Department of Energy and Enterprise (BEIS) told AFP that it was working with the bankruptcy service "
to see if legal action is required
".
“
In view of information on employees who would be paid below the minimum wage, the Minister of Enterprise asked the Labor Standards Inspection Agency to study the terms of the contracts of the employees of the agencies
” of temporary workers, he adds in a written statement.
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