New employment laws will be introduced next week in a bid to “close every possible loophole” and force a “U-turn” on the mass-sacking of seafarers by a Dubai-owned ferry firm, the UK’s Transport Secretary Grant Shapps said on Friday. P&O Ferries, which was bought by Dubai-based logistics giant DP World in 2019, sparked outrage when it fired 800 seafarers without any prior notice on March 17 and later replaced them with cheaper agency workers, citing £100 million ($132 million) year-on-year loss. P&O Chief Executive Peter Hebblethwaite on Thursday acknowledged to a select committee of MPs that the company knowingly broke the law by deciding not to consult the unions. “We are compensating people in full and up-front for that decision,” he added. Hebblethwaite said the new crews are 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 …