On Wednesday, the United Kingdom announced a strategy to prevent P&O Ferries from profiting from its decision to fire employees and replace them with lower-paid agency workers, stating that ports should restrict entry to ferry services that do not pay the minimum wage.
Britain will adopt new regulations, improve job rights, and remove legal loopholes, according to Transport Minister Grant Shapps, as part of a package of steps to avoid a repeat of P&O’s decision to lay off 800 employees without notice and hire low-cost substitutes.
P&O’s “cynical attempt” to profit from cheaper agency workers who are not covered by UK minimum wage regulations would fail, according to Shapps, if ports blocked access to P&O unless they paid staff minimum pay.
“As quickly as possible,” Shapps told parliament, “I want to see British ports refuse access to ferry operators who do not pay a reasonable wage.”
“In practise, this means that P&O Ferries will receive no profit from their terrible behaviour.”
According to Shapps, the request was made as a temporary measure while the government sought input on legislative reforms that would make it a legal obligation.
P&O’s intention to lay off hundreds of employees and replace them with agency workers has enraged ministers, opposition MPs, and labour groups alike.
In response to the P&O ruling, Shapps proposed a number of further measures, including his determination to pursue international “minimum wage corridors” with friends to ensure that workers are not paid less than the British rate.
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