Lorry drivers to go on strike

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Trug

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Lorry driver shortage: strike threat at two firms increases supply chain fears​

Staff at Tesco-owned Booker and cement producer Hanson move closer to industrial action

Richard Partington Economics correspondent
Published:15:35 Mon 6 September 2021
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The threat of strike action by lorry drivers at two firms supplying the construction industry and convenience stores has raised the prospect of further disruption this autumn amid Britain’s worst supply chain meltdown since the 1970s.
A group of drivers at the Booker distribution network, which is part of Tesco, and more than 200 drivers and engineers at Hanson, the cement producer, have moved closer to industrial action in disputes over pay and conditions.
Union leaders warned the pay disputes risked deepening the supply shortage crisis hitting many parts of the British economy because of a lack of HGV drivers, coming after years of firms underpaying staff and offering poor working conditions.
HGV driver shortage: UK firms embark on the long road to plug the gap
About 40 drivers employed by Booker at its Thamesmead site in south-east London have voted unanimously for strike action in a dispute over pay – a move that risks severe disruption to deliveries at more than 1,500 small shops operating under the Londis and Budgens brands across the capital and the south-east.
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Muttley said:
It would be the absolute height of irony if one of the results of the clusterfukk that is Brexit was that the working man rediscovers the power of strike action...
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They're are lots of industries short at the minute of staff. Even with pay hikes, which is great news, we probably don't have enough workers to go round.
 
The Torys will blame the drivers, not Brexit.
The drivers will be called heartless and selfish.
Do we want drivers to go back to the days of unregulated driving - risking their own and the public`s health and safety?
The big issue is, as we all know - the shortage of drivers - including those who used to come across from Europe, and the bureaucracy created by "taking back control" [Brexit].

What a flippin mess!

"The Winter of Discontent" ?!! [the irony...]

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Laughing said:
They're are lots of industries short at the minute of staff. Even with pay hikes, which is great news, we probably don't have enough workers to go round.
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Exactly right. We have about 700,000 unemployed of which only 500,000 are eligible to be drivers. Pay hikes will just push the problem along the supply chain. There simply aren’t enough people to do the jobs that were being done by immigrants. Chickens are going to come home to roost pretty soon. In fact turkeys is probably more apt.
 
Adi_Dem said:
Exactly right. We have about 700,000 unemployed of which only 500,000 are eligible to be drivers. Pay hikes will just push the problem along the supply chain. There simply aren’t enough people to do the jobs that were being done by immigrants. Chickens are going to come home to roost pretty soon. In fact turkeys is probably more apt.
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We are shory in a fair number of areas outside of food production too. We are a lot short in the care industry too. That doesn't directly impact on the economy but it has a very real impact on society.
 
Laughing said:
We are shory in a fair number of areas outside of food production too. We are a lot short in the care industry too. That doesn't directly impact on the economy but it has a very real impact on society.
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Agreed. What’s happening? I can’t find anything to disagree with you about!
 
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Laughing said:
They're are lots of industries short at the minute of staff. Even with pay hikes, which is great news, we probably don't have enough workers to go round.
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news.sky.com

The 10 jobs where people are needed most as UK faces vacancy crisis, according to recruitment confederation

As a growing number of businesses report disruption from the effects of the country's worker shortage, Sky News reveals the roles which are in most need of filling.
news.sky.com news.sky.com

As good as 30,000 vacancies for chefs at the moment.
 
Adi_Dem said:
Exactly right. We have about 700,000 unemployed of which only 500,000 are eligible to be drivers. Pay hikes will just push the problem along the supply chain. There simply aren’t enough people to do the jobs that were being done by immigrants. Chickens are going to come home to roost pretty soon. In fact turkeys is probably more apt.
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Apparently dustbin lorry drivers are quitting to take up roles as HGV drivers, apparently as they are able to transfer over simply
 
SmallTown said:
We could get some from Poland...

Oh wait
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Erect trade barriers such that there is huge admin burden & additional checks for importing/exporting of goods ✅

Remove freedom of movement of labour such that there are labour and skills shortages at every level of the supply chain ✅

Significantly increase the cost of doing business and reduce the potential market by millions and millions of customers ✅

Time all of this to coincide with a pandemic that is causing apocalyptic economic downturn ✅

End all pandemic economic support schemes to coincide with the end of the grace periods that had been softening the impact ✅

Genius 👏🏻
 
Laughing said:
You should be thinking about salaries too mate.
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I mentioned the other day I was offered a **** hot wage and retention bonus at another restaurant the other week. So many stories of similar situations happening all across the country.

We've got a a space for a new chef at our place now but you can't find any decent ones at the moment as the good ones are all still relying on furlough payments at their current jobs. We are reckoning October we will have CV's coming in left right and centre once the furlough scheme comes to an end.

Interesting you mention salaries, chefs are in a position to effectively name their own price. I've been told of agency chefs for example charging £20-£25 per hour around the North East and businesses are actually paying them for 12 hour days as they have no choice, either that or close.
 
Randy said:
I mentioned the other day I was offered a **** hot wage and retention bonus at another restaurant the other week. So many stories of similar situations happening all across the country.

We've got a a space for a new chef at our place now but you can't find any decent ones at the moment as the good ones are all still relying on furlough payments at their current jobs. We are reckoning October we will have CV's coming in left right and centre once the furlough scheme comes to an end.
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It may happen when furlough ends that the market is flooded but I think that, providing we are not all skint, there will still be more pubs and eateries than staff.
 
Vast swathes of the working class voted for change to better their lot as they weren't seeing the benefits, citing wage depression via exploitation of their poorer fellows from europe - isnt this proof that it was happening, well done to the lorry drivers.
 
gravy173 said:
Vast swathes of the working class voted for change to better their lot as they weren't seeing the benefits, citing wage depression via exploitation of their poorer fellows from europe - isnt this proof that it was happening, well done to the lorry drivers.
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It is a benefit for a group you are right. There will always be winners and loosers but consider, as the 20 pound uplift in uc ends that increased transport costs = higher food prices.

I agree that we should increase wages, end uc for working families and make employers pay a living wage, if it happens quickly people go hungry.
 
It’s plain to see now the Brexiteers had no plans or ideas in place as to how the UK would move on post Brexit.

This lack of plans or ideas meant we kicked any cans that could be kicked down the road but this wasn’t enough as we slept walked into a hard Brexit.

This is however one Brexit promise that can has a big bold red line that Johnson and the other Tory Brexiteers will not and dare not cross and that is EU Freedom of Movement.

They all know it but would never admit to the simple fact that this is what won them the Brexit referendum to leave the EU.

Anyone can see this country relied on EU workers to fill many vital jobs.
 
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