The Suing Seafarer
When P&O sacked its 800 staff members on the spot in March, those who wanted redundancy had to remain silent. A sous chef, John Lansdown, chose to speak out. We follow his journey.
When P&O Ferries suddenly fired its staff on the spot on 17th March, there was an outcry from politicians, unions and the press with widespread scathing condemnation of the company.
P&O claimed it had made huge losses during the pandemic and that its current business model was unsustainable.
It offered severance packages but the nearly 800 staff who accepted them also needed to agree not to make any legal claims against P&O or talk to the media.
Sous chef John Lansdown was the only staff member to reject the redundancy offer and to fight P&O, and their Dubai-based parent company DP World, in the courts for 'Unfair Dismissal'.
As the only person speaking out, John was quickly thrown into the media spotlight for a rollercoaster ride he wasn't prepared for. He's also been navigating his legal options and coming to terms with the abrupt end of a relationship with P&O - which he joined as a 16 year old an apprentice chef - and a crew which was his second family.
Untold producer Neil McCarthy follows John through the ups and downs of these turbulent 8 weeks as he prepares for a lengthy battle.
With additional recording by Sara Parker
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Broadcast
- Mon 6 Jun 2022 11:00Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ Radio 4
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A series documenting the untold dramas of 21st-century Britain.
