Grant Shapps gives P&O ‘one last chance’ to reverse layoffs of 800 workers Business

It comes after P&O announced earlier this month that it was laying off nearly 800 staff and replacing them with lower-wage temps. He said it would halve his wage bill as new workers would only be paid £5.15 an hour. The UK minimum wage is £8.91 per hour.

Mr Shapps said he was giving P&O “another opportunity to reverse this decision” and immediately offer all of these workers their jobs on their previous terms and wages.

He wrote: ‘To be clear, our set of measures will prevent the law from being broken, even when deliberately attempted.

He said P&O should also reconsider its March 31 deadline for laid-off workers to respond to its redundancy offer.

Mr Shapps said: “Given that we intend to ensure that such results are prevented by laws – which we will ensure that you cannot simply choose to ignore – I think you will not you will have little choice but to reconsider your decision in any case.”

Mr Hebblethwaite sparked outrage last week after he admitted to a select committee of MPs that he knew the ferry operator was required under UK jobs law to consult with unions before to carry out the massive dismissal of workers.

‘We have chosen not to consult and we are and will compensate everyone for this,’ he told a Commons emergency committee.

“I would make that decision again, I’m afraid.”

Ministers previously said P&O exploited a loophole to lay off UK workers.