Transport union TSSA has called for the nationalisation of P&O Ferries’ routes after it laid off its 800 seafarers on Thursday.
The union wants the UK government to hit the Dubai-owned company “where it hurts”.
DP World-controlled P&O caused outrage in the UK when it made its entire seafaring workforce redundant with no notice, so it could bring in cheaper agency workers.
Services will be halted for at least a week, causing chaos at key ports such as Dover.
TSSA wants the state to take over the running of these vital routes to safeguard trade and travel.
This would also send the strongest message that Britain will not stand for “bully-boy tactics”, according to TSSA general secretary Manuel Cortes.
The actions have been widely condemned as illegal, including by shadow transport secretary Louise Haigh in Parliament.
Transport minister Robert Courts said she was “probably right”.
P&O has argued that its services would be unviable unless it makes cost cuts.
Cortes said: “P&O are holding our country to ransom by halting vital ferry trade routes so they can illegally and immorally sack their staff.
“The Tory government must stand up to P&O bullies who are controlled by Sultan Ahmed bin Sulayem, the owner of the company.”
Cortes said that the sultan, living far from the UK, does not have the best interests of the country or P&O workers at heart.
“The government should simply take over the running of these routes — sequestrate the vessels if required — so that goods and people can continue to flow from and to our shores and also keep P&O’s dedicated, hardworking and loyal staff in jobs,” he added.
The TSSA is also calling for a tightening of employment laws, as well as an increase in the penalties for breaches.
Cortes said: “If what happened yesterday turns out to be legal, then it’s imperative the law is changed so that it no longer is. Everyone is appalled at yesterday’s actions — they must not get away with it and it must never be allowed to happen again.”
Ferry routes were previously mostly in public ownership, being sold off under Margaret Thatcher’s government in the 1980s, along with many other transport operations and utilities.
