1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
21
22
23
24
25
26
27
28
29
30
31
32
33
34
35
36
37
38
39
40
41
42
43
44
45
46
47
48
49
50
51
52
53
54
55
56
57
58
59
60
61
62
63
64
65
66
67
68
69
70
71
72
73
74
75
76
77
78
79
80
81
82
83
84
85
86
87
88
89
90
91
92
93
94
95
96
97
98
99
100
101
102
103
104
105
106
107
108
109
110
111
112
113
114
115
116
117
118
119
120
121
122
123
124
125
126
127
128
129
130
131
132
133
134
135
136
137
138
139
140
141
142
143
144
145
146
147
148 
T&G demands 'sale' answers from P860
Page 8
If you've noticed an error in this article please click here to report it so we can fix it.
• The Transport and General Workers' Union is infuriated by the lack of information and consultation from P&O over the possible sale of its contract logistics business. It says the senior executives who are handling the deal "should be ashamed of themselves". P&O announced last week that it was considering the sale of its European logistics arm, which specialises in automotive, petrochemical, industrial and consumer goods.
The company's chairman, Lord Sterling, says that to consider the group's future development opportunities they had to "bear in mind the increasingly global nature of logistics and our commitment to focusing on those businesses which we believe will achieve the greatest value for our shareholders".
However, T&G secretary for transport, Ron Webb, is demanding answers and blasts the company's handling of the affair: "The cat is now out of the bag and causing mayhem. When will people learn that you cannot treat decent working people like numbers?" he says. "Our members on the European Works Council only heard about this once rumours began to circulate in the press.
"The T&G will not be asking for, we will be demanding, some straight answers from this company about whether they've sold the business—and if so, to whom and what guarantees are they going to give our members. I warn them now, those answers had better be good."
A P&O spokesman confirms the business is for sale but says the process is in its early stages.