CEO Peter Hebblethwaite - who earns a base salary of 325,000 - did not answer when asked if he could live on 5.50 an hour, which is the new average wage paid to the companys seafaring staff. <\/p>\n
Mr Hebblethwaite told a joint meeting of the Transport and Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy committees this morning that consulting unions on the new crewing model would have been a sham and that no union could accept our proposal. <\/p>\n
He told MPs: We assessed that given the fundamental nature of change, no union could accept it and therefore we chose not to consult because a consultation process would have been a sham.<\/p>\n
We didnt want to put anybody through that.<\/p>\n
We are compensating people in full and up-front for that decision.<\/p>\n
Almost 800 staff were made redundant last Thursday, including seafarers operating P&O Ferries route from Hull to Rotterdam in The Netherlands. <\/p>\n
New crew have been hired on wages that fall more than 3 an hour below the UK minimum wage. <\/p>\n
The entirely different model P&O now has, is about half the price of the previous model, Mr Hebblethwaite said.<\/p>\n
Commenting on whether he believed that was a fair wage or whether he saw it as modern day slavery, Mr Hebblethwaite said: The rates we are paying are in line or above ITF minimum standards and it is the operating model that the vast majority of operators across the globe work to.<\/p>\n
So this is the competitive standard.<\/p>\n
When it was pointed out that the rate was below minimum wage, which is 8.91 an hour for workers over the age of 23, Mr Hebblethwaite replied: Where we are governed by national minimum wage, we will absolutely pay national minimum wage.<\/p>\n
This is an international seafaring model that is consistent with models throughout the globe and our competitors.<\/p>\n
Mick Lynch, general secretary of the Rail, Maritime and Transport union (RMT), told MPs that P&O Ferries made flagrant breaches of the law.<\/p>\n
He said: Theyve done it deliberately and theyve factored in what theyre going to have to pay for it.<\/p>\n
He said the company is threatening and blackmailing its former employees, telling them they must sign a document or youll potentially get no award whatsoever, and you have to give up all of your legal rights.<\/p>\n
He added: This is absolutely outrageous.<\/p>\n
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P&O Ferries boss admits unions were not consulted over sackings and new crew paid below minimum wage - The Yorkshire Post<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" CEO Peter Hebblethwaite - who earns a base salary of 325,000 - did not answer when asked if he could live on 5.50 an hour, which is the new average wage paid to the companys seafaring staff. Continue reading