I have been pressing Government ministers to take all possible measures to support P&O ferry workers affected by last week’s mass sacking.
Last week I joined the RMT march in support of the ferry workers, having been invited to do so by RMT union leaders. I want to see the Government hold P&O’s owners DP World to account as well as provide employment support for the workers.
I have been pressing the Government to do everything in its power to bring pressure to bear on DP World. In response, No 10 have roundly condemned the sackings, the Department for Business are considering action on breaches of the law and Transport Ministers are reviewing all Government dealings with DP World and P&O Ferries. I hope that DP World will take heed and reverse their disgraceful decision.
It’s also vital that the workers affected are supported. I have asked employment ministers to take immediate action to help. In addition, I am working closely with the leadership of Dover District and Kent County Councils to do everything possible to see that the maximum possible support is provided.
I am fighting hard to see that the workers are treated fairly. What DP World has done is shameful. They have rightly been condemned across the board. The right thing to do would be for DP World to immediately reverse this decision and reinstate the workers.
It was shameful that hard-left militants decided to surround, bully and abuse me. All the more so when I had been invited to join the march by the RMT leadership. I won’t be intimidated from serving our community by these odious militants who thrive on division. Nor will I be deflected from serving my community and my duty to represent the ferry workers.
The same hard left extremists have also tried to bully Rosie Duffield, the Labour MP for Canterbury. Bullying and physical intimidation is wrong whoever it’s done to and we need to call it out.
This does however underline that there are some who seek to sow division for division’s sake – we need to guard against these nasty militants who would take us back to the bad old days of the 1970s. We need to be clear that the issue here is bad business behaviour by P&O Ferries and DP World and we should be united in seeking to reverse the decision and reinstate the Dover workforce.