P&O Ferries’ boss praised for decision to sack workers

Speaking to the Financial Times during the World Economic Forum in Davos, Sultan Ahmed bin Sulayem said it was too late to reinstate the workers and praised P&O’s management for restructuring the UK company.

The paper said the chair and chief executive of DP World had expressed irritation at the way the UK government turned on P&O after its chief executive Peter Hebblethwaite announced the dismissal of 800 workers without consultation in March.

Sulayem said the decision was taken by the P&O board without input from its Dubai parent and the move could not be reversed because it was “in the past”.

He claimed the only available options were to switch to a cheaper workforce or cease operating.

“Peter has done an amazing job because he managed to save the company instead of 3,000 people [being] out of a job,” Sulayem said.