A Dubai-owned ferry firm has admitted that it broke the law when it fired 800 UK-based staff with no notice. P&O Ferries, which was bought by Dubai-based logistics giant DP World in 2019, sparked outrage on March 17 when it fired 800 seafarers without any prior notice and replaced them with cheaper agency workers. At a Parliamentary hearing on March 24, P&O Chief Executive Peter Hebblethwaite acknowledged there is “absolutely no doubt” the ferry operator was required to consult with trade unions. He said the firm decided not to consult the unions because “a consultation process would have been a sham,” as “given the fundamental nature of change, no union could accept it.” “We didn’t want to put anybody through that. We are compensating people in full and up-front for that decision,” he told a joint session of the transport and business select committees of the House of Commons. Andrew …