British Prime Minister Boris Johnson has been threatening to take legal action against P&O Ferries after the company decided to suspend sailings and make 800 of its British employees redundant on March 17th,
Johnson challenged the company’s decision to replace employees with staff from third-party agencies, paying a quarter of the national minimum wage. He said that P&O had broken the law and that, if found guilty, it would have to pay millions of pounds in fines.
Downing Street’s top resident said he will encourage workers themselves to take action under the 1996 Employment Rights Act.
He stated that steps would be taken to protect all seafarers working in UK waters and ensure that everyone received the living wage.
Translation by Giles Foster
