In a bid to improve the UK’s labour situation, the British government has announced they will make up to 10,500 temporary work visas available for lorry drivers and poultry workers. Under the new scheme, 5000 visas will be made available for road hauliers and 5,500 visas for poultry workers. The visas will fall under the (T5) Temporary Worker classification.
The Department for Transport says the new visas will provide “relief for the haulage industry” and the visas for poultry workers will avoid further issues with the food industry’s supply chain. The government says visas are a short-term solution. They will be available from October and valid until Christmas eve. After this, there will be a 14-day grace period for workers to leave the country.
As part of the government’s plan to tackle labour shortages, they announced they will train 4,000 HGV (heavy goods vehicle) drivers with assistance from the Ministry of Defence examiners.
Why is there a labour shortage?
The shortage of HGV drivers has caused issues to supply chains, particularly for the fuel industry. Delays in deliveries led to petrol stations running dry and large queues formed at petrol stations across the country. Fast-food chains and supermarkets have also been affected by the shortages of labour and the temporary visas are aimed at those within the food supply chain.
There is an estimated shortage of 90,000 HGV drivers. Many factors have been cited as the reason for shortages, including pre-existing vacancies plus the impacts of Brexit and the pandemic.
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