Chesterfield MP Toby Perkins has given his support to an emergency vote in Parliament introduced by Labour to highlight the plight of sacked P&O workers. The motion for debate demands that the company reinstate the workforce and the Conservatives outlaw fire and rehire.

The mass sackings by P&O, without notice, have caused outrage nationwide, amid reports suggested security firms with balaclavas and handcuffs were used to take sacked British workers off the vessels.

It has been revealed that the Conservative Government were made aware of the sackings before it was announced, and of the plan to use exploitative fire and rehire.

Toby said:

“Labour will fight every step of the way for the jobs and livelihoods of these loyal workers. This scandalous action must be a line in the sand. If P&O ferries can get away with this, it will give the green light to other exploitative employers.

It is the cruel consequence of the Tory assault on workers rights. There should be no more excuse – Tory MPs must join with Labour and vote to ban cruel fire and rehire for good. They must decide which side they are on – loyal workers in Britain or billionaires riding roughshod over rights.”

He added:

“We have seen locally how the lax employment regulations presided over by the Conservatives has affected residents. Only last week the Department for Work & Pensions announced the closure of the office here in Chesterfield, forcing 180 workers to relocate to Sheffield or lose their jobs.

This move will have an untold impact on families who will face disruption and upheaval due to this decision”.

Labour’s Shadow Transport Secretary, Louise Haigh MP, has called this moment “a line in the sand” and outlined that Labour will stage a vote demanding the Tories outlaw fire and rehire, strengthen workers’ rights and take tough action to force the company to think again.

Labour has called upon the government to:

• Outlaw fire and rehire and bring forward an urgent bill to strengthen workers rights.
• Suspend the contracts of DP World – the owner of P&O Ferries – until this matter is resolved
• Remove DP World from the UK Government’s Transport Advisory Group where they were appointed by the now Foreign Secretary, Liz Truss, “to provide knowledge, experience and strategic expertise” on trade negotiations.

Labour previously proposed a Bill to outlaw the practice of ‘Fire and Re-hire’ which Toby and his parliamentary colleagues supported. The motion was defeated when the Conservatives used their 80-seat majority to vote against.

Labour is calling on the government to reinstate their jobs and ban fire and rehire once and for all. Agree? Add your name:

https://action.labour.org.uk/page/102223/petition/1