The recent sacking of over 800 people at P&O ferries has quite rightly reignited fury over the continued use of fire and rehire practices in the UK.

News of this scandal broke and P&O suspended operations while they waited for agency workers to arrive, these replacement workers are being paid significantly less than the UK minimum wage, with some reporting this is as little as £2 an hour.

This latest appalling example of fire and rehire, from a company we all know comes as nothing new, British Gas and British Airways have used similar practices in recent years.

British Airways used the first summer of Covid to force staff to take on new contracts with much lower pay and conditions.

British Gas workers faced losing £10,000 a year by signing new contracts, those who refused were made redundant.

Despite widespread condemnation from the public and politicians regarding fire and rehire practices, no action has been taken by the government to make it illegal.

P&O ferries has received over £50 million in money from the Government in the last two years, in the form of contracts and subsidies.

They received a further £10 million in furlough payments during the pandemic.

P&O bosses informed staff they were being made redundant, on zoom citing losses of £200 million in the last year.

However, DP World, the company who owns P&O, recently reported profits of £750 million in 2021.

The truth is that P&O and others are looking for ways to increase profits.

Reducing staff costs by slashing jobs, pay and conditions is one easy way for them to do this.

P&O register ferries used for transporting passengers and freight to and from the UK in Cyprus.

This means they do not have to pay the minimum wage, required by UK law.

The way that P&O workers were sacked has been questioned as illegal by some, however the same loophole they use to pay workers less than minimum wage probably also means they can do what they like with zero regard for UK employment law.

Any company who has a contract with the UK Government should be forced to comply with employment laws in the UK.

Any contracts with P&O should be urgently reviewed and action taken to stop this from happening again.

Ultimately, if private companies cannot be trusted to run vital transport and freight service in and out of the UK, they should be nationalised.

What has happened to P&O workers is not and will not, be a one off.

Others will do it if they are allowed to get away with it. Fire and rehire is illegal in Spain and Ireland, so there is no reason that the UK cannot do the same.