Yes, training (costs and time) can be prohibitive but there are organisations out there offering government-funded assistance for those wanting to go into it.
Even so, the government need to offer further help here by perhaps setting a minimum wage for those driving HGVs. Wages are likely to go up anyway in the short term due to demand but long term those rises need to be maintained.
In the interim the government could add HGV drivers to its SOL (Skilled Occupation List) to help bring in drivers from abroad.
Putting some stability into the wages structure would certainly help or it will become an auction.
Who is in charge of the governments SOL? A certain Pritti Patel maybe? Difficulty for the government is doing something that admits a Brexit failure as well. They seem to be happy to ride through the consequences rather than admit problems. That is a major issue in itself.
Replying to both this and @Noo_Noo in the same post, since theyāre broadly on similar lines.
If I understand it correctly, there are structural issues in the industry quite apart from Brexit and COVID, especially around working hours and conditions, that makes it rather unattractive. Now Iām not saying a pay rise magically solves all issues, but Iām saying that it is a good benefit, and should go some way in compensating for the said structural issues, even if there is ultimately still a shortfall.
Iām not saying Brexit and COVID were needed in order to start rebalancing the economy, Iām saying thereās certainly an opportunity here narrative-wise at least.
Thing is, for me, this is one of the areas I anticipated that Brexit would deliver. The ability to have flexible but focused immigration policies. Adjusting depending on where there was a need in the economy/workforce.
Thatās the way certain media outlets will have you see it I think.
There may be some opportunities but I think weāre lacking the foundations at the moment. I honestly dont think this government is capable or willing to put those foundations in place. It would be admitting that there are issues and they dont seem to be willing to take that first step.
I mean that there will be certain media outlets that will paint anything as an opportunity and a bright new dawn while ignoring the harder hitting flipside to the same issue. The same thing that most outlets have been doing for some time to be fair
No because it was cheaper to hire immigrants which is why they came. Our neighbours are heading back to Poland as the money theyāve made in the past ten years will build them a palace back home, Bloody good on them
To do a job that lots in this country couldnāt be arsed to do. I take that as a compliment
Heard a farmer in tears on 5 live last year as he knew he wouldnāt be able to get the labour to pick his crops this year as all his usual staff (foreign) were going home and he knew full well that non of the (indigenous if there is such a thing) locals would do it. Wages too low or cantbearseditis?
Iāve taken enough flak for this standpoint over the years, the thing about stereotypes isā¦ā¦.
Quick response, I donāt see the farmer as being the fault. I see the issue being people who were born here and indigenous as considering base wage hard labour jobs as being beneath them. Why pick fruit all day when you can do fuck all for a bit less money?
That will always be true, if anything just from the sheer number of people who exist. Will everyone not work? No. Will everyone work? Also no.
If youāre such an ardent supporter of the free market, surely the answer is that the wages are piss-poor for the nature of the work considering the other opportunities available?
