The Latest Breaking News from PO

C&O chief Peter Hebblethwaite has been told to sling his hook and walk the plank (you plank) over his firm's illegal sackings of 800 staff - while Grant Shapps suggested he may change law to reinstate axed ferry workers

Prime minister has signalled a pay rise for many crew on ferries and cruise ships using UK ports

A week after 800 PO Ferries workers lost their jobs without notice, the CEO of the company is now facing calls to lose his. Peter Hebblethwaite is under pressure from the UK government to resign after he admitted the company had broken the law.

The Department for Transport said that Mr Shapps was not told about any plans to lay off workers

My father worked at sea, like so many others. Shipping’s long race to the bottom has seen the end of seafarers like him, says Guardian columnist Ian Jack

Grant Shapps insisted he was not told of plans for mass lay-offs after minutes of a November meeting with top execs were published, but Labour said the government should have grasped the chance to intervene

The union is calling for a boycott of P&O services over the sackings.

Dubai meeting in November revealed in departmental minutes

Transport secretary knew ‘commercial decisions’ were looming - and asked DP World to keep him ‘informed’

New minutes show the Transport Secretary was told a new ‘low-cost competitor’ would cause issues.

Peter Hebblethwaite admitted breaking employment law over the sacking of 800 workers without notice.