The former P&O Ferries chief, once described as “Britain’s most hated boss”, saw his pay fall in his final full year in the job – but he still earned more than £600,000.
Sky News can reveal that Peter Hebblethwaite was paid £622,000 in 2024, down from £683,000 a year earlier.
The figure is included in the accounts of P&O Ferries division Holdings, which were published by Companies House on Wednesday.
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In a statement, a spokesperson for P&O Ferries said, “Our 2024 results show that our transformation is delivering results.
“Despite challenges in the freight market and the long-term impact of Brexit on the sector, our financial position continues to improve, customer satisfaction is increasing, and our state-of-the-art hybrid ships on the Channel are delivering significant reductions in carbon emissions.
“The business remains focused on providing a reliable and market-leading service to our customers and is well positioned to continue its recovery, leading to sustainable long-term growth.”
The company declined to comment on Mr Hebblethwaite’s pay package.
Sky News revealed last autumn that P&O Ferries had hired former DFDS executive Caspar Moos as its successor.
P&O Ferries is owned by DP World. Photo: PA
Mr Hebblethwaite’s scandal-plagued tenure sparked fury in 2022 and catapulted him into the ranks of Britain’s most notorious corporate figures after he sacked hundreds of seafarers and replaced them with low-cost agency workers.
P&O Ferries.
a subsidiary of Dubai-based giant port operator DP World – said 800 employees were dismissed With immediate effect – some of whom learnt about their fate through a video message.
The policy, which Mr Hebblethwaite defended to MPs during a subsequent select committee hearing, turned into a national scandal, leading to changes in the law to give workers greater protection.
Mr Hebblethwaite had argued that without drastic cost cuts the company would have collapsed.
P&O Ferries carries 4.5 million passengers annually on routes between the UK and continental European ports, including Calais and Rotterdam.
It also operates a route between Northern Ireland and Scotland and is a major freight carrier.
As the company’s losses mounted during the pandemic, DP World – its sole shareholder – supported it with a multimillion-pound loan.
Its most recent accounts show a modest increase in the deficit in 2024.
In October 2024, the then Transport Secretary, Louise Haigh, said, “The mass dismissals by P&O Ferries were a national scandal that cannot be allowed to happen again,” adding that measures to protect seafarers from “rogue employers” would prevent a recurrence.
The minister’s description of P&O Ferries as “rogue” and suggestion that consumers should boycott the company sparked controversy, threatening to overshadow the government’s international investment summit last October.
Sky News business and economics correspondent Paul Kelso revealed that DP World had withdrawn from attending the event and put off announcing a £1 billion investment.
The company relented after Sir Keir Starmer publicly distanced the government from Ms Haigh’s characterisation of DP World.
