Haribo Sweet Threatens Shortage As Store Deliveries Marred By Shortage Of Truck Drivers | Economic news

Confectionery giant Haribo has warned that a shortage of truck drivers is making it difficult to get its sweets to stores in the UK.

The German company, whose products include gummy bears, frothy fried eggs and cola bottles, said it was working to fix the problem.

It comes after the transport industry warned of a widespread delivery crisis in the UK due to a shortage of truck drivers, with around 100,000 vacant positions.

The labor shortage was blamed by the sector on the coronavirus pandemic and Brexit.

A spokesperson for Haribo said, “As with many manufacturers and retailers across the country, we are facing challenges with the driver shortage nationwide.

“We are working with partners in the food industry to address and respond to this problem.”

Tesco, the UK’s largest supermarket chain, also recently admitted faced with a shortage of drivers for its trucks.

General Manager Ken Murphy, speaking after the first quarter results, said the company was “working hard” to fill its deficit through recruiting and insisted that product availability remained high.

Transport executives warned last week that Britain faced gaps in supermarket shelves this summer and an “unimaginable” collapse in supply chains due to lack of manpower.

In a letter sent to Boris Johnson, the industry urged the Prime Minister to step in and allow access to the European workforce by introducing temporary work visas for heavy truck drivers and adding them to a “list of shortage occupations”.

There have been calls in some neighborhoods for the military to be mobilized to help move goods if short-term access to non-British labor is not allowed.

However, the government has said that as part of Britain’s post-Brexit immigration system, companies should look to hire domestic workers instead.

COVID-19 has fueled the problem …