P&O ferries, one of the major operators of passenger ferries in the UK (including the Dover to Calais route) recently dismissed 800 members of staff without following a consultation process, with the intention of hiring cheaper agency workers – and there has been complete uproar. In a House of Commons hearing today, the chief executives have been torn to shreds by the transport and business committee, and have admitted breaking the law by choosing not to consult with the seafaring unions. They have damaged their brand with the negative publicity, and they will compensate all the staff who lost their jobs as a result. According to the Guardian newspaper, the transport committee chair described the evidence as a “tale of corporate thuggery where a huge company thinks it can break the law with impunity”.
Whilst we in the UK have our fair share of problems relating to employment, we do also have proper employment laws and parliamentary scrutiny that punishes those who treat their staff like this, and if you don't have this in your country, maybe it's time for your laws to change.