UK to offer 10,500 visas amid post-Brexit worker shortage

The UK government said on Saturday it would offer 10,500 temporary work visas to foreign carriers and poultry industry employees. to try to mitigate the labor shortage which strikes various sectors, in an unexpected turn in immigration after the Brexit taken this Saturday by the government. The permits will be for three months, from October to December.

The lack of carriers has been triggered in recent days Queues at many gas stations across the country, after BP gas stations and other companies were forced to close facilities due to the inability to get fuel to the pumps.

The President of the British Chamber of Commerce, Ruby McGregor-Smith argued that the measure announced by the executive “is not enough to solve the scale of the problem” and compared it to “throwing a dice of water on a fire”.

The Highway Carriers Association (RHA) has warned since this summer that about 100,000 more drivers in the UK, a crisis that has also affected supermarkets and the hospitality industry, among others. Previously, the UK announced it would grant up to 5,000 visas on a temporary basis, but it will ultimately be 10,500.

Transporters and representatives of the meat and poultry industry attributed part of the problem to Inability to hire Europeans without a work visa after Brexit and the departure of thousands of EU citizens residing in the UK to their countries of origin during the pandemic.

Over the past few weeks, the executive urged companies facing labor shortages to redouble their efforts to hire UK employees, Although companies warn that in order to recruit local workers, it is necessary increase wages, which in turn will affect consumer prices.

The executive said in a statement on Saturday that the extension of the granting of visas is to be carried out until Christmas, in order to “alleviate the pressures on the supply chain in the food and transport industry during exceptional circumstances”.

The Consortium of British Retailers donated the “Welcome” to the temporary measure, but warned that the 5,000 visas provided for carriers “will do little to alleviate the current shortage.”

“Only supermarkets believe that they need at least 15,000 drivers so that their businesses can operate at full capacity at the gates of Christmas “Andrew Opie, director of food and sustainability for the employers’ association, said in a statement.

In addition to visas for foreigners, The government also announced today an emergency training program for 4,000 new drivers.

Their plans call for The “Defense Ministry examiners” help with the exams to be able to grant heavy transport licenses in the next 12 weeks.

They will also be sent one million letters to UK residents with the necessary training and licenses to drive trucks but not working in the transport industry to “encourage them to take back” those jobs.

With information from the EFE

Read on: