Employers are told to invest in workers in the UK instead of relying on foreign labor, because supermarkets and suppliers are struggling to cope Chronic shortage of truck drivers Due to Brexit and Covid, the outflow of transporters from EU countries.
Business secretary, Quasi QuattenLast Friday, I wrote to business leaders that foreign workers only provided “short-term temporary solutions” after industry organizations, the British Logistics and British Retail Consortium (BRC) called on the department to provide EU truck drivers with temporary British visas. They stated that the lack of drivers “increasesly puts unsustainable pressure on retailers and their supply chains”.
The government’s vacation plan will end on September 30, Then the unemployment rate roseIn the letter, Kwarteng urged employers to help “many British workers [who] We are now facing an uncertain future and we need to find new employment opportunities.”
In a letter to British logistics and BRC, Kwarteng wrote: “I believe you will agree on the importance of using our domestic labor force and how our immigration policy needs to be considered in conjunction with our strategy to ensure that British workers can better obtain decent Employment opportunities.”
The Covid-related outage brought the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA) test center to a standstill, causing a large backlog of drivers waiting to participate in the HGV test. The review of the shortage occupation list will not be completed until next year, which lists the jobs for which overseas workers can apply for visas.
HGV drivers are not included on the list, but pressure from supermarkets included them to help alleviate the shortage, while more British drivers receive training.
It is said that officials from the Ministry of the Interior blocked the ongoing review because they feared that it might lead to other departments requesting inclusion.
A source told PA: “It has surfaced and it seems to be the obvious solution, but there is a lot of resistance from the Ministry of the Interior.”
A government spokesperson said: “We have a highly resilient food supply chain and a perfect way to work with the food sector to solve the food supply chain disruption. We recently announced a package of measures to help solve the shortage of HGV drivers, including The plan is to simplify the process for new drivers to obtain an HGV license and increase the number of driving tests that can be conducted.
“However, most solutions are likely to be industry-driven, progress has been made in testing and recruitment, and vigorous efforts have been made to improve salaries, working conditions and diversity.
“We want to see employers make long-term investments in the domestic workforce in the UK, rather than relying on foreign labor. Our employment program is helping people across the country to retrain, develop new skills and return to work.”
The shortage has hit several retailers and restaurant chains. Due to a shortage of drivers and fewer staff in the meat factory, Nando’s experienced a chicken shortage.
Other delays have also affected McDonald’s. The company said this week that its milkshakes and bottled beverages have been used up, but prioritized delivery of other products during this period.
Organizations in the food and beverage industry recommended a 12-month Covid-19 reinstatement visa to help companies recruit employees, including HGV drivers, and expand the seasonal worker program for the gardening sector.
