P&O ‘chose’ to break the law by firing 800 people, company boss says March 24, 2022 P&O Ferries’ chief executive has admitted the ferry operator broke the law by failing to consult employees and unions before sacking 800 people. Peter Hebblethwaite told MPs there was “absolutely no doubt” P&O broke UK employment laws, as he admitted the ferry firm “chose not to consult” employees and unions. “We chose not to consult [...]
Lawyers counter P&O’s claims that it cannot be prosecuted March 24, 2022 Legal experts are disputing P&O’s claims that it is not subject to English law after company boss Peter Hebblethwaite said British courts have no power to prosecute the firm. The ferry operator claimed it had not broken UK laws, because its vessels are registered in Cyprus and Bermuda. The claims come after Prime Minister Boris [...]
Automotive sector in favour of relocating car manufacturing to UK March 23, 2022 The Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT) said today a relocation of car manufacturing back to the UK would be “good news” for the sector. “If supply chain resilience provides the opportunity to reshore more of the supply chain in the UK, we would certainly support and encourage that,” SMMT’s chief executive Mike Hawes [...]
EXCLUSIVE: London bus firm RATP expands electric fleet with HSBC £30m funding March 23, 2022 London bus firm RATP Dev Transit London announced today it has secured a £30m green package from HSBC to expand its electric bus fleet. As a result of the funding, the company – who owns London bus companies London Sovereign, London Transit and London United – will acquire an additional 75 electric buses, including 54 [...]
P&O Ferries boss apologises ahead of hearing tomorrow amid PM claims company broke law March 23, 2022 P&O’s chief executive Peter Hebblethwaite apologised today to his staff ahead of tomorrow’s joint parliamentary hearing as Prime Minister Boris Johnson claimed the ferry operator has broken the law. Hebblethwaite said sacking almost 800 seafarers was an “incredibly difficult decision” but necessary to save the company. “I want to say sorry to the people affected [...]
Automotive industry calls on Government to deliver more EV infrastructure to ease “charging anxiety” March 23, 2022 The Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT) has called on the UK Government to deliver more investment in electric vehicle (EV) charging infrastructure to ease this decade’s “charging anxiety.” According to data, the ratio between charging infrastructure and number of electric vehicles has worsened in the last year. “Last year, it was about one [...]
DWS publishes Stagecoach offer giving shareholders until 21 May to accept March 23, 2022 German asset manager DWS published today its final offer to Stagecoach, giving the company’s shareholders until 21 May to accept it. Stagecoach said the £594.9m cash offer will offer investors a 54.3 per cent premium on the bus company’s closing price on 20 September, as well as 37.2 per cent increase on the closing price [...]
P&O Ferries to pay £36.5m compensation to workers affected by layoffs March 22, 2022 P&O is set to pay a total of £36.5m to workers who were fired last week in a four-minute video call. The company said that 575 of the 786 seafarers affected by the job cuts are expected to progress with the severance offer, which in some cases amounts to £170,000 per person, Sky News first [...]
CAA board member steps down over IAG conflict of interest March 22, 2022 A member of the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) was forced to step following a conflict of interest, the aviation regulator announced yesterday. A former British Airways’ (BA) director of engineering, Garry Copeland resigned after a CAA audit of the members’ financial interest found he was holding some shares in BA’s parent company IAG instead of [...]
Flybe sets April as restart date with half a dozen routes serving capital’s airports March 22, 2022 Flybe announced today it will restart operations from mid-April, more than two years after its collapse. The regional carrier said that, starting from 13 April, it will operate up to 530 flights per week across 23 routes, serving airports such as Belfast City, Heathrow and Birmingham. “We think our new flights will benefit everyone who [...]
