Skip to content
Search
AI Powered
Latest Stories

Staff shortage: Ministers reject industry plea for granting visas for EU haulage drivers

Staff shortage: Ministers reject industry plea for granting visas for EU haulage drivers
(Photo by BEN STANSALL/AFP via Getty Images)
AFP via Getty Images

Ministers have rejected a petition from the logistics and retailers bodies to give temporary work visas to heavy-duty truck drivers from the EU, though they agreed that training should be increased for Britons who want to be carriers, stated reports.

As per recent reports, the UK government on Sunday (22) rebuffed a plea of granting temporary work visas to heavy goods vehicle drivers from the EU, saying "employers should invest in our domestic workforce instead of relying on labour from abroad".


“The British people repeatedly voted to end free movement and take back control of our immigration system and employers should invest in our domestic workforce instead of relying on labour from abroad,” said a government official rejecting the plea from trade bodies.

However, the ministers are willing to look at increasing training of Britons wanting to be hauliers, reports said.

“We need more training courses,” said the government member, citing industry concerns that there should be more flexibility in the operation of the apprenticeship levy and reform of the national skills fund to support the recruitment of HGV drivers

The news comes a day after it was reported that business lobby groups- Logistics UK and the British Retail Consortium (BRC)- have jointly written to UK business secretary Kwasi Kwarteng urging him to review the plans of not granting temporary work visas to drivers from the EU, and around better training.

Claiming that a shortfall of about 90,000 HGV drivers "is placing increasingly unsustainable pressure on retailers and their supply chains", the bodies said in the joint letter that while Brexit and Covid-19 caused lorry drivers to leave the UK, a temporary visa may lure them back.

An estimated 25,000 EU drivers returned home during the coronavirus pandemic and following the end of the Brexit transition period, according to the trade bodies.

"The pandemic halted driver training and testing for over 12 months, while an estimated 25,000 EU drivers returned home during the pandemic and following the end of the transition period,” the two groups said in the letter.

Warning that the situation is likely to worsen, the joint letter also claimed that demand for supplies will increase soon around the start of the new semester and may accumulate until Christmas.

Meanwhile, desperate food manufacturers are pleading with the government to allow them to call upon prisoners to solve the labour crisis.

The Association of Independent Meat Suppliers, which represents butchers, abattoirs and processors, said it had a call set up with the Ministry of Justice to explore how its members could recruit more current inmates and ex-offenders, said reports on Monday (23).

More for you

​Illegal vapes

Illegal vapes seized in Swindon raids

Photo: Wiltshire Police

Five arrested after seizure of illegal vapes worth thousands of pounds in Swindon

Wiltshire Police have arrested five people and seized more than £55,000 worth of illicit vapes, tobacco and alcohol following a series of warrants in the Broadgreen area of Swindon.

In a joint operation HMRC and Trading Standards, officers executed four warrants in Manchester Road at three stores and a property on Tuesday as part of the force’s ongoing Clear Hold Build work within Broadgreen.

Keep ReadingShow less
Volumatic welcomes new FCA rules safeguarding access to cash

Volumatic welcomes new FCA rules safeguarding access to cash

As industry leaders is cash handling, Volumatic has long supported the use of cash and the importance of maintaining access to cash for both consumers and businesses. The company recognises the importance of the new set of rules created by the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) two months ago, to safeguard access to cash for businesses and consumers across the UK.

Since introduction, the new rules are intended to ensure that individuals and businesses who rely on cash can continue to access it and the outcome has already sparked the creation of 15 new banking hubs across the UK, including one in Scotland, with many more to follow.

Keep ReadingShow less
Jisp unveils new NPD service

Jisp unveils new NPD service

Retail technology company Jisp has launched an NPD service as part of its new Direct to Retailer business unit.

The new NPD service will allow brands to launch or trial new products in a guaranteed number of convenience store locations, with on the ground review of execution by Jisp’s retail growth manager team, and performance data and insights deliverable through its scanning technology and back-office systems.

Keep ReadingShow less
Tesco launches price cuts in Express convenience stores
File image of Tesco Express

Tesco launches price cuts in Express convenience stores

Tesco is slashing the price of more than 222 own-brand and branded products in its Express convenience stores.

Essentials including milk, bread, pasta and coffee are included in the lines which have been reduced in price by an average of more than 10 per cent at Tesco Express stores. The retail giant has made more than 2,800 price cuts across stores in recent months. With 2,048 of convenience stores at the end of the 2023-24 financial year, Tesco aims to benefit hundreds of thousands of customers from the cheaper deals.

Keep ReadingShow less
vape and cigarette
Photo: iStock

One in five ex-smokers in England now vape, study finds


Summary
1. One in five people who have successfully quit smoking in England currently vape, with an estimated 2.2 million individuals using e-cigarettes as a smoking cessation tool.
2. The increase in vaping among ex-smokers is largely driven by the use of e-cigarettes in quit attempts, with a rise in vaping uptake among people who had previously quit smoking for many years before taking up vaping.
3. While vaping may be a less harmful option compared to smoking, there are concerns about the potential long-term implications of vaping on relapse risk and nicotine addiction. Further research is needed to assess the impact of vaping on smoking cessation outcomes.


Keep ReadingShow less