P&O Ferries chief executive has admitted the firm broke the law by choosing not to consult over the mass sacking of 800 workers on the spot, but said he would do the same again if given the opportunity.
When asked by the Conservative MP Nus Ghani if he would “change anything, knowing what you know now”, Peter Hebblethwaite said: “This is the only way to save this business and we have moved to a model that is internationally recognised across the globe and widely used by our competitors.
“I would make this decision again, I’m afraid.”
Mr Hebblethwaite was appearing before a joint hearing of the transport and business committees this morning, after MPs and unions alike questioned the legality of the dismissals of hundreds of UK staff last week, which were issued over a recorded video message without notice.
Labour MP Darren Jones opened the questioning of Mr Hebblethwaite by asking, “Are you in this mess because you don’t know what you’re doing, or are you just a shameless criminal?”
Mr Hebblethwaite defended the company’s actions, saying: “We thought long and hard about the routes to this.
“We concluded that every single option available to us would result in the closure of P&O.
“It is a fundamentally different operating model and no union would accept our proposal.”
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