Amid growing alarm within government about the threat to supermarket and fuel supplies, ministers are poised to allow lorry drivers to come to the UK on short-term visas, probably for a number of months.
On Friday night, cabinet sources said discussions were ongoing but the plan was expected to be signed off over the weekend.
The move will be seen as a remarkable climbdown, as Johnson’s Brexit campaign was founded on giving the UK more control over immigration and ending free movement. It is likely that other sectors suffering from labour shortages – such as hospitality – will now put pressure on ministers to grant them exemptions as well.
Under the current system, lorry drivers do not meet the threshold for skills that would qualify them to come to the UK. But the proposed scheme could permit temporary visas, similar to the seasonal workers scheme under which people can apply to come to the UK for six months to do agricultural work if they have a sponsor and money to support themselves.
JeffA:
Amid growing alarm within government about the threat to supermarket and fuel supplies, ministers are poised to allow lorry drivers to come to the UK on short-term visas, probably for a number of months.
On Friday night, cabinet sources said discussions were ongoing but the plan was expected to be signed off over the weekend.
The move will be seen as a remarkable climbdown, as Johnson’s Brexit campaign was founded on giving the UK more control over immigration and ending free movement. It is likely that other sectors suffering from labour shortages – such as hospitality – will now put pressure on ministers to grant them exemptions as well.
Under the current system, lorry drivers do not meet the threshold for skills that would qualify them to come to the UK. But the proposed scheme could permit temporary visas, similar to the seasonal workers scheme under which people can apply to come to the UK for six months to do agricultural work if they have a sponsor and money to support themselves.
It was always going to happen, i wonder how many extensions there will be.
Wot, can’t comb his own hair DePfeffel U turning. Never.
JeffA:
Amid growing alarm within government about the threat to supermarket and fuel supplies, ministers are poised to allow lorry drivers to come to the UK on short-term visas, probably for a number of months.
On Friday night, cabinet sources said discussions were ongoing but the plan was expected to be signed off over the weekend.
The move will be seen as a remarkable climbdown, as Johnson’s Brexit campaign was founded on giving the UK more control over immigration and ending free movement. It is likely that other sectors suffering from labour shortages – such as hospitality – will now put pressure on ministers to grant them exemptions as well.
Under the current system, lorry drivers do not meet the threshold for skills that would qualify them to come to the UK. But the proposed scheme could permit temporary visas, similar to the seasonal workers scheme under which people can apply to come to the UK for six months to do agricultural work if they have a sponsor and money to support themselves.
Though I don’t agree with allowing drivers in, because alot of the problems are of big business’ own making trying to do everything on cheap, the reasons for the the shortage are a lot more than the 14,000 or so EE drivers who have left.
The fact that the government can control who comes in or stays was one of the points of Brexit, TBH can’t see where they’re going to come from all of Europe is suffering from the same problem
Are there…
Any drivers over there anyway? Poland is short by 120,000 and other European nations have shortages too.
Will it make any difference with an army of Romanian ADR tanker drivers rocking up, maybe not.
I suspect that the visa scheme will be global not just EU. Just because they can come doesn’t mean they will if the opportunities in the EU are comparable or better.
There was a few South African drivers talking about the driver shortage in the UK on a Faceache group a couple of days ago. They were discussing the reports of mega high earnings.
Plenty of drivers from all over Africa earning a pittance compared to here and driving most of our cast off trucks.
Most of them driving on the same side of the road as us, and most living in “Commonwealth” countries, making emigration easier.
And what the food industry tried to do for months on end, unsuccessfully with lobby, the petrochemical behemoths achieve in 2 days with a handful of shut forecourts.
The government just told a particular sector of workers that no matter what, their working conditions and wages can never be allowed to improve through free market competition for labour force. I wonder if there will be any blowback from the class with the realisation that wage suppression of their sector is now government policy.
It won’t be the EE drivers. Why would they come here? IR35 has ended the fiddle with tax so where is the incentive for them when they can earn as much, if not more at home, or Germany.
The ones that do come will be from the Asian subcontinent. Prepare yourselves for the real life “killer juggernaut “ headlines.
toowise:
There was a few South African drivers talking about the driver shortage in the UK on a Faceache group a couple of days ago. They were discussing the reports of mega high earnings.
Plenty of drivers from all over Africa earning a pittance compared to here and driving most of our cast off trucks.
Most of them driving on the same side of the road as us, and most living in “Commonwealth” countries, making emigration easier.
You would be a bit sad leaving south africa to drive a wagon in huddersfield.
Cant see the money paying enough for many people to emigrate to hear.
Good news then really the driver market will be flooded so no more wages rises and more money left in the operator’s pocket ,I may start looking at swimming pools again 
Punchy Dan:
Good news then really the driver market will be flooded so no more wages rises and more money left in the operator’s pocket ,I may start looking at swimming pools again
Ya tight fisted git! I suppose the recent wage rises have played havoc with your penchant for snorting coke off of the tanned bellies of high class Russian hookers in your Bentley Continental? 
JeffA:
toowise:
There was a few South African drivers talking about the driver shortage in the UK on a Faceache group a couple of days ago. They were discussing the reports of mega high earnings.
Plenty of drivers from all over Africa earning a pittance compared to here and driving most of our cast off trucks.
Most of them driving on the same side of the road as us, and most living in “Commonwealth” countries, making emigration easier.You would be a bit sad leaving south africa to drive a wagon in huddersfield.
Cant see the money paying enough for many people to emigrate to hear.
Can vocational licences be exchanged for a UK one? It was easy with EU countries as we all followed the same system, or as they would say, the different countries systems are harmonised.
Would also need initial drivers cpc as well as can’t let the gov letting them drive without one (using the excuse 'it’s a tempory basis) as it will just prove what a complete farce it is. Having said that couldn’t the EU drivers work in another country without a DCPC as long as it hadn’t been introduced in their own country? Or did I dream it/hear it in RDC?
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3 million on the dole and they can’t find 100000 of them to drive a lorry ? Is that 1 in 30 ?
This is about getiing drivers that will work for a bowl of rice and a fish finger so that profits and shareholders can be kept happy nothing more . We all knew this was coming and you can bet the usual companies will line up to fill their yards with cheap drivers that can’t speak English and the office staff / translators for them as well .If you got a pay rise - well done but you can be dammed sure youll only be getting the minimum hours from when the next influx of immigrants arrive as they will be doing 2 weeks work for what your paid a days wage .
beefy4605:
3 million on the dole and they can’t find 100000 of them to drive a lorry ? Is that 1 in 30 ? .
Nailed it in one ^^^ Nobody has yet dared utter the idea of getting the terminally workshy off of their fat arses to actually do a days work and actually contribute to the society that they are so happy to leech off…
the maoster:
beefy4605:
3 million on the dole and they can’t find 100000 of them to drive a lorry ? Is that 1 in 30 ? .Nailed it in one ^^^ Nobody has yet dared utter the idea of getting the terminally workshy off of their fat arses to actually do a days work and actually contribute to the society that they are so happy to leech off…
Actually the benefits in the uk are by far the lowest in europe.
You offer to pay them through the license plenty will do it.
JeffA:
Actually the benefits in the uk are by far the lowest in europe.You offer to pay them through the license plenty will do it.
I don’t doubt for a second that our benefits are amongst the lowest in Europe. Just look at the way we vilify our pensioners and chronically ill and you’ll gather that.
What is undeniable however is that we have a massive underclass of professional scroungers who’ll never contribute.
, their offspring will never contribute and their offspring too. They know exactly how to work the system to their benefit ( pardon the pun)
These are hangers on that I and presumably you are grafting our arses off to keep in the manner that they’re accustomed to.
As for paying for their licences it’s worth noting that governments don’t actually have any money, so who exactly would pay this?
I dont see it as massive - nowhere near. Its a pittance being spent on job seekers allowance.
What do they get a week? 80 quid? 90? You wont pay too many hgv courses on that will you?
So tell us how the scroungers pay for a license. You didnt think this through did you.
JeffA:
I dont see it as massive, nowhere near.
Really? Try walking or driving through any town centre on any weekday and look around. They’re usually identifiable by the can of special brew, the dog on a piece of string and the badly spelt tattoos.