A chef who was suddenly sacked by P&O Ferries is reportedly suing the company and its chief executive for £76 million. John Lansdown, 39, joined P&O Ferries as a 16-year-old trainee before progressing as a sous chef on The Pride of Canterbury but was one of the 800 staff to be sacked without notice last month, according to The Mirror.
Mr Lansdown, from Herne Bay in Kent, is the only seafarer to take legal action against P&O, claiming unfair dismissal, racial discrimination and harassment. He is claiming racial discrimination due to being replaced by non-British crew who were paid around £5.50 an hour less than the minimum wage, believing his nationality came into the redundancy decision.
In the claim against P&O Ferries and chief executive Peter Hebblethwaite to London South employment tribunal, Mr Lansdown is seeking a six-figure compensation due to loss of earnings and injury to feelings. The figure of £76 million is targeted at the large profits gained by P&O's parent company Dubai Ports World (DP World) in a bid to "deter" either company from conducting a "fire and hire" policy in the future.
Mr Lansdown's legal document states: "I was devastated by the brutal summary dismissal after many years of loyal and diligent service. The manner of the dismissal was harassing." He also claims that while onboard The Pride of Canterbury, he had to leave his belongings when told "out of the blue and without any prior consultation" of his dismissal. He alleges that hired private security staff wore balaclavas and carried handcuffs to remove workers who refused to disembark ferries.
P&O confirmed that Mr Lansdown is the only former staff member not to accept its settlement offer, adding that payouts were linked to length of service totalling £36.5 million in what is believed to be the "largest compensation package in the British marine sector". Mr Hebblethwaite admitted to MPs that the decision to sack 800 seafarers without notice in March did break the law but said he would make the same decision again if he had to. The Insolvency Service has launched criminal and civil investigations into the mass redundancies.
In a statement responding to Mr Lansdown's claim, a P&O Ferries spokesperson said: "“No staff involved in the redundancies wore balaclavas nor were they directed to use handcuffs or force. Staff remained professional, sympathetic and calm in a challenging situation for everyone, trying to ensure the safety of all the people on board the ships. There was no harassment.
"The decision by P&O Ferries to make seafarers redundant was categorically not based on race or the nationality of the staff involved. We have apologised to the people affected and their families for the impact it’s had on them, and also to the 2,200 people who still work for P&O and will have been asked a lot of difficult questions about this.
"We took this difficult decision as a last resort and only after full consideration of all other options but, ultimately, we concluded that the business wouldn’t survive without fundamentally changed crewing arrangements, which in turn would inevitably result in redundancies.
"We have offered enhanced severance terms to those affected to properly and promptly compensate them for the lack of warning and consultation – all staff offered these terms except Mr Lansdown have accepted this offer. The business was losing £100M a year, and no shareholder would be able to continually finance that year on year. P&O Ferries needed fundamental change to make it viable – we knew this decision was the only way to save the business."
Speaking to The Mirror, Mr Lansdown said: "The actions of P&O Ferries have upended the lives of 800 loyal and dedicated seafarers and their families. Their grotesque disregard for due process in this country will set a dangerous precedent if allowed to stand.
"The tribunal claim I have filed is intended to bring Peter Hebblethwaite and those responsible at P&O Ferries to justice and make them accountable for their unlawful action."
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