he government Hope that employers invest in workers in the UK instead of relying on foreign labor when the company faces a labor shortage Heavy truck driver.
supermarket Suppliers are struggling to meet demand after the exodus of drivers from EU countries that returned to the European continent and stayed there during the pandemic.
Coupled with the health crisis, the DVLA testing center has come to a standstill, causing a large backlog of drivers 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.
PA News Agency understands that the government has proposed a review so that HGV drivers can be included to alleviate the problems facing the supply chain.
But according to the Financial Times, the Secretary of Commerce Quasi Quatten In a letter to business leaders on Friday, foreign workers only provided “a short-term temporary solution.”
The newspaper stated that Mr. Kwarteng urged employers to help “many British workers (they) now face an uncertain future and need to find new employment opportunities”.
His letter was sent before the UK vacation plan ended on September 30.
According to the Financial Times, Mr. Kwarteng said in a letter to the British Retail Union and the British Logistics Company: “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 industry now needs drivers, and we have been urging the government to replicate the temporary visa program it introduced for agricultural workers and logistics to keep trucks and vans moving in the short term
Alex Veitch, General Manager of Public Policy for British Logistics: “The British logistics company is frustrated by the government’s decision to reject the logistics industry’s request to provide temporary visas to EU HGV drivers as a short-term solution. Driver, training and testing.
“Although these new domestic drivers are trained and qualified to enter the labor market, this may take up to nine months, and DVSA Through its backlog of unfinished HGV driver tests (we estimate that it may take until early 2022), the provision of temporary visas for European workers will help overcome the current supply chain problems encountered across the country.
“The industry now needs drivers, and we have been urging the government to replicate its temporary visa program, which was launched for agricultural workers and logistics to keep trucks and vans moving in the short term.”
A government spokesperson said: “We have a highly flexible food supply chain and a perfect way to work with the food sector to solve the problem of food supply chain disruption.
We want to see employers make long-term investments in British domestic labor, rather than relying on foreign labor
“We recently announced a package of measures to help address the shortage of HGV drivers, including plans to simplify the process for new drivers to obtain HGV licenses 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.”
Several government agencies are liaising on supply chain issues, including the Ministry of Commerce, Energy and Industrial Strategy, the Ministry of Interior, the Ministry of Transport, the Ministry of Education, the Ministry of Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, and the Ministry of Work and Pensions.
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.”
HGV drivers are not currently included on the list, but supermarkets are under pressure to include them to help alleviate the shortage, while more British drivers receive training.
At present, the average age of HGV drivers in the UK is 55 years old, and ministers are worried that the aging workforce needs to be replaced.
Government officials are working closely with DVLA to increase the number of tests conducted and vowed to simplify the process.
They have also increased funding for apprentices to attract more workers into the industry, but want to ensure that the UK reduces its reliance on overseas drivers.
The shortage has hit several retailers and restaurant chains.
Due to a shortage of drivers and fewer staff in the meat factory, Nando’s found a shortage of chickens.
Other delays have also affected McDonald’s. The company said this week that its milkshakes and bottled beverages have been used up due to prioritizing 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 HGV drivers and other employees, and expand the seasonal worker program for the gardening sector.
Tom Bradshaw, vice chairman of the National Farmers Union, said that the idea that the end of the government’s vacation program will lead to an increase in workers to fill the current large number of vacancies is “simplistic”.
