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> that it's not simply an issue of pay, and there aren't enough Brits willing to do those jobs. From what I've read (and take this with a pinch of salt) there

> that it's not simply an issue of pay, and there aren't enough Brits willing to do those jobs. From what I've read (and take this with a pinch of salt) there are a lot of licensed HGV drivers in the UK who don't drive anymore, with common reasons being long, unsociable working hours, management that treat you like dirt, shitty rules around where they can park to take rest stops with substandard (typical everywhere in the UK...) facilities, and pay that hasn't risen in decades. This, combined with not enough younger folk taking up the job, along with Brexit, has led to a shortage

sockpuppet_12 5y ago
This seems like a case of trying to cram the ruinous practices back into pandora's box, which has been leaking for a very long time. Transport companies have had a long time to optimise their extraction of value from cheap, easily exploitable employees from overseas. The easily exploitable workers aren't available anymore, so the companies who exploited them will have to change their exploitation habits if they want to fill their positions from the remaining labour pool. Of course a landed citizen isn't going to sign up to be treated unfairly if they don't have to, they're not as desperate and therefore not as exploitable. I imagine they're reading the terms of employment on these positions with disgust, and so they should.
- Closi 5y ago
  There has been a driver shortage for years - a whole variety of factors have just all come along at the same time to knock it over the edge and cause all the resulting chaos.
- raxxorrax 5y ago
  Problem is that these transport companies are one of the most affected industries by international and open markets. That had severe repercussions for prices for any form of logistics. Transportation is dirt cheap and highly competitive and that has an effect on wages of course.

sockpuppet_12 5y ago

This seems like a case of trying to cram the ruinous practices back into pandora's box, which has been leaking for a very long time. Transport companies have had a long time to optimise their extraction of value from cheap, easily exploitable employees from overseas. The easily exploitable workers aren't available anymore, so the companies who exploited them will have to change their exploitation habits if they want to fill their positions from the remaining labour pool. Of course a landed citizen isn't going to sign up to be treated unfairly if they don't have to, they're not as desperate and therefore not as exploitable. I imagine they're reading the terms of employment on these positions with disgust, and so they should.

Closi 5y ago
There has been a driver shortage for years - a whole variety of factors have just all come along at the same time to knock it over the edge and cause all the resulting chaos.
raxxorrax 5y ago
Problem is that these transport companies are one of the most affected industries by international and open markets. That had severe repercussions for prices for any form of logistics. Transportation is dirt cheap and highly competitive and that has an effect on wages of course.