IN A welcome show of political unity, Holyrood’s all-party Net Zero, Energy and Transport Committee met on Monday to grill and condemn (tear apart would be closer to the truth) P&O Ferries' chief executive Peter Hebblethwaite, for illegally sacking 800 workers by Zoom and replacing them with cheaper agency workers.

To his shame, Hebblethwaite admitted breaking UK employment law, when his firm chose to take the illegal route of fire and rehire on the cheap, rather than negotiate and consult with the unions, because he knew “no union could accept” their unlawful proposals.

Firebrand Labour MSP Monica Lennon didn’t mince her words, and waded into Hebblethwaite, calling him a “failure of a chief executive”, a “lawbreaker” and dubbed him the “most hated man in Britain” which in a “crowded field” was no mean feat.

She also accused him of “corporate terrorism” saying, “You fired 800 experienced workers with an average service of 20 years. You sent in security guards with balaclavas and handcuffs. This is an extreme act of corporate terrorism. When will you resign?” she demanded, “your ethics lie at the bottom of the seabed, how can you sleep at night” How indeed?

Conservative Liam Kerr also went on the offensive and asked Hebblethwaite whether he was a “fit and proper person to discharge his duties when he had wilfully broken the law – one of the strongest that Parliament has put in place”.

A question he may want to ask of his boss Boris Johnson.

Deputy convenor Fiona Hyslop, of the SNP, was equally scathing and asked Hebblethwaite: “Do you have any regret? Do you have any shame?”

In a withering put-down, she left him in no doubt about how appalled and unified Scotland was over P&O actions: “In my 20-plus years as a member of the Scottish Parliament, I am not sure I have come across an issue with an employer that has united – right across the chamber – such hostility. The people that we represent, our constituents, even those who are not in the south of Scotland, or in Cairnryan, are absolutely disgusted and dismayed that a company of your reputation has treated people with such disrespect and lack of dignity at work.”

Stirring stuff, but an unrepentant Hebblethwaite weathered the storm, refused to resign, and stuck firmly to his company line. “It was a very difficult decision. One that we implemented as the only option designed to save 1000s of jobs.” Unconvincingly, he added: “I regret the impact and have apologised to 800 seafarers and their families.”

Hollow, throwaway words, completely lacking in hope and empathy for those 800 seafaring souls his company has cruelly abandoned and left up the proverbial without a paddle, something Lennon was quick to savage him over. “It sounds like you’ve convinced yourself that you’re a saviour, saving workers rather than throwing them overboard”

Let’s not forget that P&O Ferries, owned by cash rich Dubai based DP World, which has an asset value of over $26.5 billion, splashed out a whopping £270 million in dividends to its shareholders in 2020, but still had the temerity to take £15 million in UK government pandemic grants. Now they plead poverty, with Hebblethwaite claiming that P&O are losing £100million year on year and crying crocodile tears that a further 2,200 jobs could be lost, with bankruptcy a real possibility if they were forced to re-hire their original staff.

Total bilge. I’m surprised they haven’t changed their company branding to the Jolly Roger, they’ve been so greedy and flagrant with the law. I can only hope that UK transport secretary Grant Shapps nails his colours to the mast and carries out his threat to tighten employment laws for UK ship operators. Workers’ rights must be protected, and new laws urgently put in place, if only to scupper the shoddy practices of this greedy shower of picaroons and prevent others from doing the same.

Troubled waters still unfortunately lie ahead for P&O’s former staff but for once it was a refreshing change to see cross-party unity in Holyrood. Something that won’t happen as the storm clouds continue thicken over the SNPs shambolic handling of the two massively over-budget and overdue CalMac ferries rusting away in Port Glasgow.

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