Outrage builds at ‘bandit’ behaviour toward workers after day of large port protests
Union leaders are calling for those disgusted at the conduct of P&O to flock to Blackpool tomorrow and descend on the Tories’ spring conference.
The ferry company summarily sacked its workers yesterday to replace them with cheap foreign labour – and a leaked email showed that the company had prepared well ahead, bringing in security staff with handcuffs to force sacked workers from their vessels, but there had been no consultations with unions. P&O has paid out hundreds of millions of pounds in dividends to shareholders despite asking for and receiving financial support from the government.
RMT regional official Darren Procter put out the call on social media:
Friday saw large protests in solidarity with P&O workers against what Manchester mayor Andy Burnham called the ‘banditry’ of the company – but even larger numbers and more pressure are required to force the government to do the right thing for the wronged employees and the country. The ferry business and the entire industry should be nationalised.