The Insolvency Service has decided P&O Ferries is not going to face legal proceedings over its actions in firing virtually 800 staff earlier this 12 months.
The firm sparked public anger and was hauled in entrance of MPs to reply questions when it sacked lots of of staff with out discover in March.
Enterprise Secretary Kwasi Kwarteng requested the Insolvency Service to analyze whether or not any offences had been dedicated.
In an announcement, the Authorities company stated it had decided there was “no reasonable prospect of a conviction”.
A spokesperson stated: “After a full and sturdy legal investigation into the circumstances surrounding the workers who had been made redundant by P&O Ferries, we now have concluded that we'll not start legal proceedings.”
A civil investigation is ongoing.
Nautilus Worldwide, a union which represents maritime professionals, stated the Insolvency Service’s resolution can be a blow to the “discarded” staff.
Common secretary Mark Dickinson stated: “This can be a deeply disappointing resolution and can be met with frustration and anger by the 786 seafarers and their households who had been so cruelly discarded by P&O Ferries.
“Solely at some point after P&O Ferries father or mother firm introduced report income, making the corporate’s claims on operational sustainability questionable, we're additional let down by a system that fails to punish obvious legal corporatism.
“The message is evident, P&O Ferries should be held correctly accountable for his or her disgraceful actions and we are going to proceed the marketing campaign to make sure that the CEO and his fellow Administrators are held to account and to make sure this may by no means occur once more.”
Through the hearings in Parliament the enterprise admitted that it had damaged the regulation that might have pressured them to offer discover of the firings. This was as a result of no unions would have accepted its new proposals, bosses stated on the time.
Commons transport committee chairman Huw Merriman known as on the Authorities to legislate to forestall a repeat of the scandal.
The Tory MP informed BBC Radio 4’s In the present day programme: “The regulation isn’t robust sufficient and as MPs we have to legislate to guarantee that it's.
“I nonetheless keep their (P&O’s) actions are a shame however the shame can be on Parliament if we don’t repair it and cease it from taking place once more.”
Labour accused the Authorities of breaking its pledge to carry P&O to account and warned of a repeat of the mass firing.
Shadow employment rights minister Justin Madders stated: “For all of the handwringing of Tory ministers, they’ve damaged the guarantees they made after P&O’s outrageous behaviour and as an alternative modified the regulation to open the door for others to comply with of their wake elsewhere.
“This end result is an indication of a damaged economic system below the Tories and the basic weak spot of employment protections below their Authorities.”
A Authorities spokesperson informed the BBC: “In sacking 800 devoted workers on the spot, P&O Ferries not solely acted callously however did not uphold the excessive requirements we anticipate of British companies.
“Given their appalling behaviour, it’s very disappointing that the corporate is not going to face legal proceedings.”