The government’s temporary visa scheme to bring nearly 5,000 foreign food haulage drivers to the UK will now be extended after it was widely panned for ending on the very Scrooge-like date of Christmas Eve.
Ministers announced last month that thousands of HGV drivers – together with 5,500 poultry workers – would be offered the right to work in the UK to cope with the shortfall of staff, which has led to supply chain disruption.
However, the scheme was only offered in the lead-up to Christmas, leading to accusations that Britain was being mean-spirited in inviting people to come in, and then having to send them off just before Christmas. Many people also raised the point that the unattractiveness of the scheme would mean that workers wouldn’t sign up for it in the first place.
The government has now reversed its position on the policy by announcing a set of measures late Friday night that it hopes will reduce labour shortages, which have resulted in empty shelves in supermarkets as well as huge queues at petrol station forecourts all across the country.
The new measures allow 300 overseas fuel drivers to arrive under the new regulations “immediately”A bespoke temporary visa that will allow you to enter the UK until March is required.
The 4,700 additional visas for foreign food haulage drivers will be extended beyond what was initially announced. They will last from the end of October through the end February.
To help stock supermarket shelves with turkeys before Christmas, poultry workers will also have access to the country. These workers can now arrive in October and stay until December 31, according to the government.
After the news was announced, many people were left rolling their eyes at yet another U-turn by Boris Johnson’s government.
The government was not only being criticized by the fuel and food industry for the temporary visa scheme but also under pressure from opposition parties who raised the possibility of a parliamentary recall in order to address wider labour shortages.
Sir Keir Starmer stated that the temporary visa program would not be in operation. “for weeks”He also said that the Prime Minister should, if necessary, recall Parliament to speed through legislation to ensure shelves are stocked up for Christmas.
The SNP’s Westminster leader Ian Blackford also said Johnson “must immediately recall Parliament and convene cross-party talks to set out steps to effectively tackle the Brexit crisis”.
However, the government stated that visas would not be a long-term solution. It also said that it wanted to see UK employers invest in their domestic workforce, rather than rely on foreign labour.
It stated that it was also working with the industry in order to find long-term solutions for the shortage of HGV drivers.
As the crisis at pumps continues, military drivers are also available to fuel forecourts beginning Monday.
Almost 200 military personnel – including 100 drivers – have been undertaking training at haulier sites and will start deliveries to help relieve the situation at petrol stations.
The Petrol Retailers Association (PRA) – representing independent filling stations – warned queues at forecourts were set to continue unless fuel supplies increased, and said the independents had been particularly hard hit.
While the government says there is no national shortage of fuel, Rishi Sonak, chancellor, stated to Daily Mail that there is global disruption in supply chains in other industries.
He stated: “These shortages are very real”This is the complete list: “We’re seeing real disruptions in supply chains in different sectors, not just here but around the world.
“We are determined to do what we can to try to mitigate as much of this as we can.”
He stated: “As you can imagine there’s an enormous amount of focus on this from the Government because we know how important this is. My kids will be very upset with me if there isn’t a proper Christmas.”