Radio 4 Today programme this morning, top news presenter Mishel Husain was interviewing Edwin Atema, top man in the Federation of Dutch Trade Unions (FNV), which represents lorry drivers across the EU, live on air he said:
The EU workers we speak to will not go to the UK for a short-term visa to help the UK get out of the s*** they created for themselves
Read it and weep Boris…
Zac_A:
Radio 4 Today programme this morning, top news presenter Mishel Husain was interviewing Edwin Atema, top man in the Federation of Dutch Trade Unions (FNV), which represents lorry drivers across the EU, live on air he said:The EU workers we speak to will not go to the UK for a short-term visa to help the UK get out of the s*** they created for themselves
Read it and weep Boris…
Surely it should be the RHA that should be reading and weeping they are the ones who demanded the return of European drivers not the government
Mazzer2:
Zac_A:
Radio 4 Today programme this morning, top news presenter Mishel Husain was interviewing Edwin Atema, top man in the Federation of Dutch Trade Unions (FNV), which represents lorry drivers across the EU, live on air he said:The EU workers we speak to will not go to the UK for a short-term visa to help the UK get out of the s*** they created for themselves
Read it and weep Boris…
Surely it should be the RHA that should be reading and weeping they are the ones who demanded the return of European drivers not the government
Spot on.
To be fair you can’t blame Boris for this. It lands squarely at the feet of the RHA and it’s greedy members. Boris has done this as a token gesture
Zac_A:
represents lorry drivers across the EU, live on air he said:The EU workers we speak to will not go to the UK for a short-term visa to help the UK get out of the s*** they created for themselves
Read it and weep Boris…
Meanwhile the ‘EU’ drivers will also be walking away from the land of dope and hookers if they’ve got any sense.
railfreight.com/railfreight/ … t-to-rail/
At least until the EU then comes for Polish jobs in Poland.Let’s chuck away more than France’s, Italy’s and UK’s share of the EU transport market, and give it to a few Dutch train drivers.Great idea …if you’re a Dutch train driver.
Groan… 
C’mon guys, it was meant to be humorous, hence the smiley face.
Doesn’t matter whose idea it was, the government have promoted the idea of foreign drivers being brought back to “save Xmas”, and it isn’t going to fly.
I hold no candle for Johnson nor any of the current pointless politicians, but he can hardly be held to blame for the hauliers and logistics co’s mutual race to the bottom, using foreign drivers to pay increasingly poor wages for years on end whilst they fought among themselves to be the cheapest transport operator.
Again for those in the back seats hard of hearing, there is no shortage of drivers there never has been, those companies that have always offered decent t’s and c’s have never had recruitment issues and they never will, its up to the rest of the transport industry to get their act together and offer good terms so they can cherry pick from the existing staff and encourage those who got out of transport to return.
Juddian:
I hold no candle for Johnson nor any of the current pointless politicians, but he can hardly be held to blame for the hauliers and logistics co’s mutual race to the bottom, using foreign drivers to pay increasingly poor wages for years on end whilst they fought among themselves to be the cheapest transport operator.Again for those in the back seats hard of hearing, there is no shortage of drivers there never has been, those companies that have always offered decent t’s and c’s have never had recruitment issues and they never will, its up to the rest of the transport industry to get their act together and offer good terms so they can cherry pick from the existing staff and encourage those who got out of transport to return.
^^^^ This i s true.
I have been trying to get into firm not too far from me. Its a dead mans shoes type of gig. I have spent over 4 years sweettalking but NOBODY leaves.
The reason nobody leaves is because the boss pays above average pay, pays his trampers to park in truckstops and doesnt expect his drivers to push on to the very last minute. As long as the days work is done and the wagon has earned its keep he is happy.
Also he takes all of his staff out for a slap up dinner when its HIS birthday lol
^^ keep whittling them mate, every now and again go knock on the door and remind them of you, pester them until they relent and put another vehicle on the road just to shut you up 
Juddian:
I hold no candle for Johnson nor any of the current pointless politicians, but he can hardly be held to blame for the hauliers and logistics co’s mutual race to the bottom,
To be fair the ‘hauliers’ only adapted to the hand they were dealt by government which has always been anti road pro rail.
The government’s whole economic plan has been based on the race to the bottom in every sector other than the banker classes.
How many times did we hear we have to be ‘competitive’ with the lowest denominator then they sold our industries out to sweatshop economies completely wherever possible.
In this case nothing short of the total removal of road fuel tax and allowing NZ type LHV’s and imposing quota permits on international freight movements, to give our own a chance, will make the road transport industry an attractive proposition.
Rather than the type of degenerate local delivery service of the 1930’s.
Juddian:
I hold no candle for Johnson nor any of the current pointless politicians, but he can hardly be held to blame for the hauliers and logistics co’s mutual race to the bottom, using foreign drivers to pay increasingly poor wages for years on end whilst they fought among themselves to be the cheapest transport operator.Again for those in the back seats hard of hearing, there is no shortage of drivers there never has been, those companies that have always offered decent t’s and c’s have never had recruitment issues and they never will, its up to the rest of the transport industry to get their act together and offer good terms so they can cherry pick from the existing staff and encourage those who got out of transport to return.
spot on! I worked for a guy who only had 10 trucks in the 90s. Got my holidays whenever I put them in, a bottle of Whiskey & Vodka every Chrismas with a cheque for £1000, as a thank you for your service! Never a problem with vehicle maintenance / Driver wellbeing or anything else!
20 odd year on, traffic office can only refer to me not by name, but by the private registration number of the vehicle, won’t honour holidays and want me to tramp from Scotland for £9.65 per hour, 65-70hr a week. They can truck off with the rest who won’t pay parking, expect you to not get your derv robbed in a layby, pester you for why your stopped for a shower, etc, etc. They brought this on therselves and a poxy tenner an hour ain’t going to fix it.
Don’t know what’s going to fix it but it ain’t wages?
There’s a danger that an influx of foreign driver that do NOT have “about to expire licences” - will roll the LOT of us over, if this DVLA log-jam lasts some months more to come yet…
On a different aspect of driving - what does DVLA do with all those EU drivers that bring their old banger cars over here, with no MOTs, foreign plates that cannot be ticketed, etc etc?
More reasonably - What foreigner is going to want to come back over here again “just for work upto Christmas Eve” as has been touted?
FFS that’s even less than the usual “Ongoing work ongoingly” flannel ain’t it?
they do not like the look of IR35 can not think why
Winseer:
There’s a danger that an influx of foreign driver that do NOT have “about to expire licences” - will roll the LOT of us over, if this DVLA log-jam lasts some months more to come yet…
The way you beat the foreigners is exactly how you make yourself stand out as a more desirable driver than other natives applying for a job.
By being more competent than others and having a rock solid record of performance and attendance.
British, knowing your way around your own country and the language being natural to you, plus right hand drive vehicles and used to high vehicles which foreigers don’t have to cope with…if you can’t beat the foreigners into jobs and beat them hands down at giving damage free consistent reliability, even at a considerably higher pay rate than they might be prepared to work for, then there’s no hope for us.
We would be at the same disadvantages working in their countries.
When in that job continue to give reliable trouble/damage free service and you’re safe as ticks on a sheep.
Boris plays another blinder! Plays defensive back to the bowler with all the ‘I told you so’s’ (JeffA et al) he told ‘them’ so that the shortage wasn’t due to brexit coz here’s the proof. Let them in and they still don’t come. They left because the grass is greener elsewhere.
Mazzer2:
Zac_A:
Radio 4 Today programme this morning, top news presenter Mishel Husain was interviewing Edwin Atema, top man in the Federation of Dutch Trade Unions (FNV), which represents lorry drivers across the EU, live on air he said:The EU workers we speak to will not go to the UK for a short-term visa to help the UK get out of the s*** they created for themselves
Read it and weep Boris…
Surely it should be the RHA that should be reading and weeping they are the ones who demanded the return of European drivers not the government
The govt issued the visas not the rha
Juddian:
I hold no candle for Johnson nor any of the current pointless politicians, but he can hardly be held to blame for the hauliers and logistics co’s mutual race to the bottom, using foreign drivers to pay increasingly poor wages for years on end whilst they fought among themselves to be the cheapest transport operator.Again for those in the back seats hard of hearing, there is no shortage of drivers there never has been, those companies that have always offered decent t’s and c’s have never had recruitment issues and they never will, its up to the rest of the transport industry to get their act together and offer good terms so they can cherry pick from the existing staff and encourage those who got out of transport to return.
Boris issued the visas. He is to blame 100%. The rha are a bunch of windbags - they cant issue migration visas.
Boris also issued visas for 5000 farm workers. Nothing to do with the hauliers. Y’follow?
how about another view
Boris gets Whitehall to raise some Visa’s with strict limits which will cover the perceived crisis and no more. When no one takes up the offer it then proves that is not the fix to all the baying masses that want cheap labour
So actually good on you Boris !
JeffA:
Mazzer2:
Zac_A:
Radio 4 Today programme this morning, top news presenter Mishel Husain was interviewing Edwin Atema, top man in the Federation of Dutch Trade Unions (FNV), which represents lorry drivers across the EU, live on air he said:The EU workers we speak to will not go to the UK for a short-term visa to help the UK get out of the s*** they created for themselves
Read it and weep Boris…
Surely it should be the RHA that should be reading and weeping they are the ones who demanded the return of European drivers not the government
The govt issued the visas not the rha
No visa’s have been issued yet but the reason for any being issued is due to lobbying form the RHA if the RHA had done it’s job properly over the years then a lot of the current problems wouldn’t exist, the government should have told the RHA to do one like they have previously.
Mazzer2:
JeffA:
Mazzer2:
Zac_A:
Radio 4 Today programme this morning, top news presenter Mishel Husain was interviewing Edwin Atema, top man in the Federation of Dutch Trade Unions (FNV), which represents lorry drivers across the EU, live on air he said:The EU workers we speak to will not go to the UK for a short-term visa to help the UK get out of the s*** they created for themselves
Read it and weep Boris…
Surely it should be the RHA that should be reading and weeping they are the ones who demanded the return of European drivers not the government
The govt issued the visas not the rha
No visa’s have been issued yet but the reason for any being issued is due to lobbying form the RHA if the RHA had done it’s job properly over the years then a lot of the current problems wouldn’t exist, the government should have told the RHA to do one like they have previously.
Decades of laissez faire Govs have enabled the sainted “market forces*” to reign. Businesses act within laws and the financial constraints set by Govs. Let them act foolishly for a short term gain and they will.
Leaving them alone for even longer won’t fix any problems, but exacerbate them.
Letting hauliers go hang seems like justice but isn’t practical.
It IS for Government to GOVERN, not just let business make profit for itself.
*AKA the race to the bottom.