EMERGENCY rallies called on the government to act over P&O ferries’ mass sackings today as unions united against the brutal move.

Large protests at English ports in Dover, Hull and Liverpool as well as Larne in Northern Ireland heard warnings about an attack on the entire labour movement, after nearly a quarter of the firm’s staff were fired via pre-recorded video message on Thursday.

Private security personnel were then deployed to evict staff, while replacement crews made up of cheaper foreign workers waited on docksides.