A Dubai-Owned Ferry Firm has rejected the UK government’s ultimatum demanding it rehires nearly 800 seafarers it had sacked without notice. It comes as British maritime authorities said a second ferry operated by  P&O was being detained after a safety inspection. P&O Ferries, which was bought by Dubai-based logistics giant DP World in 2019, sparked outrage when it fired almost 800 UK-based seafarers without any prior notice on March 17 and later replaced them with cheaper agency workers. P&O’s Chief Executive Peter Hebblethwaite previously acknowledged that the company knowingly broke the law by deciding not to consult the unions. He also said the new crews were being paid an average hourly wage of £5.50 ($7.25), lower than the UK’s minimum wage of £8.91 ($11.74) apart from on domestic routes, but said it is allowed under international maritime rules. Transport Secretary Grant Shapps accused the company of “using loopholes like flagging their ships in …