Liberal Democrat MP for the Far North, Jamie Stone, has signed a motion on the decision of P&O Ferries to fire 800 staff without notice or consultation with their trade unions.
The motion, which calls for “the immediate reinstatement of the sacked workers” and “condemns [P&O’s] replacement with agency workers earning as little as £1.80 per hour” has been signed by over 100 MPs.
So far, no Conservative members have added their name.
After signing, Mr Stone commented:
“This decision by P&O management is, quite simply, astonishingly arrogant.
“To treat an entire workforce so appallingly, and then to replace them with a workforce doomed to further malpractice, is beyond reprehensible.
“Many families in the Far North have relatives in Ireland and I imagine that on a personal level, they resent this decision very much.
“My own wife comes from Ireland and for many years, I and my family have used P&O Ferries to travel back and forth to see her family.
“The reduction in possible ferry services available dismays me and means that travel for numbers of families will become more difficult.
“To add fuel to fire, the P&O Head of Employment, James Froud, says he would do it all again.
“It is a slap in the face for all P&O worker – past, current, and future – as well as those who rely on these services to connect to loved ones.”
