A Bristol MP has grilled the CEO of P&O Ferries in parliament, asking as his first question: "Are you a shameless criminal?"
Darren Jones, the Labour MP for Bristol North West and chair of the Commons' business, energy and industrial strategy committee, questioned the boss of P&O, Peter Hebblethwaite, on why his company had made 800 staff redundant without notice last week and without consulting with trade unions.
Opening the session, Jones told Hebblethwaite: "When I was reading your biography it seemed pretty light on your experience as a chief executive officer. Are you in this mess because you don't know what you're doing, or are you just a shameless criminal?"
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Hebblethwaite did not answer the question directly. He thanked Jones for giving him "the opportunity to come and answer questions", and apologised to his staff and their families.
Jones hit back by asking why P&O are only apologising after sacking them, rather than talking to them in advance of doing so in a consultation period. Hebblethwaite again did not answer the question directly; instead he merely claimed P&O would have gone out of business it had not made this move.
Later in the session, the CEO admitted his company broke the law in not consulting the trade unions before sacking its staff. Responding to a question from the Labour MP Andy McDonald on why P&O did not consult its staff unions, RMT and Nautilus, Hebblethwaite said: "It was our assessment that the change was of such magnitude that no union could possibly accept our proposal."
McDonald replied: "You're right about that! I've never heard such farcical answers to a series of questions."
Under the Trade Union and Labour Relations Act 1992, employers making over 100 people redundant in one go are required to consult with their trade union, or other elected employee representatives, at least 90 days in advance, which P&O did not do. The company is instead offering its employees financial settlements after the fact, while asking them to sign non-disclosure agreements, and replacing them with overseas agency workers on lower wages.
