The boss of P&O Ferries has admitted to paying the firm’s workers as little as £4.87 per hour, nearly two years on from a scandal which saw it branded “pirates” for laying off hundreds of staff without notice. Peter Hebblethwaite repeatedly told MPs on the Business and Trade Committee that P&O’s workers were not being exploited, while resisting calls for an independent investigation into the company’s employment practices. The chief executive, who admitted he could not live on £4.87 per hour, also revealed he earned £508,000 including a bonus of £183,000 last year. Mr Hebblethwaite said: “We are paying considerably ahead of the international minimum standard. We believe that it is right that as an international business operating in international waters, we should be governed by international law.” He added: “All we want is a level playing field with our competitors.” Tune in live 👉https://t.co/XH6AZ3aH8v https://t.co/9JqNtjM794 — Business and Trade Committee (@CommonsBTC) May 7, 2024 Mr Hebblethwaite’s appearance before MPs came two years after P&O Ferries fired 786 of its staff and replaced them with low-paid workers who are employed by an external crewing agency. The company fired employees without notice or union consultation, attracting widespread criticism from ministers, unions...