The latest product to struggle to hit shelves in time for Christmas could be wine, said the boss of international winery Accolade – which makes Hardys and Echo Falls -.
Robert Foye warned that the shortage of truck drivers “could certainly have an impact on Christmas” and that the fate of the wine drinkers’ holidays is in the hands of “the entire transport and trucking industry in the Kingdom. -United”.
Speaking to the BBC’s Talking Business program, Foye said: “We are trying to get ahead. The only way to mitigate this is to work closely with our trucking and transportation suppliers and our customers.
“We’ve done some of that and we’re doing well so far, but the costs will eventually increase.”
Here’s everything you need to know about it.
What is happening?
Along with problems in a number of other key sectors, a massive shortage of truck drivers is contributing to significant supply chain problems in the UK economy.
Some sectors have been struggling for several months, but the problem appears to have become particularly acute in recent weeks, with several retailers reporting shortages of goods.
Bosses of Tesco and Iceland have both warned of big shortages, while the British Meat Processors Association has warned that labor shortages could lead to a shortage of pigs in blankets during the holidays.
At the end of August, McDonald’s announced that its milkshakes were temporarily no longer available in England, Scotland and Wales, while restaurant chain Nando’s was among others in the sector facing shortages.
How serious is the shortage?
Customers may have noticed that the shelves of many supermarkets and stores have been looking quite empty lately, due to a shortage of truck drivers in the UK.
Shortages have been around for some time, but heads of a number of industries have now warned that a driver shortage could lead to major supply chain problems for the foreseeable future.
The Road Haulage Association (RHA) said more than 100,000 drivers were missing, out of a total of 600,000 before Covid, mainly due to changes in migration rules following Brexit.
Why is there a shortage of truck drivers?
Because the UK is no longer part of the single market, where heavy truck drivers can cross borders more freely, many European drivers have chosen to work only in EU countries.
The increased bureaucracy involved in traveling to and from the UK often means increased costs for drivers who are paid for distance rather than time.
And changes to the UK’s tax regime after Brexit may also mean that working in the UK is less attractive for many heavy truck drivers.
The pandemic has also impacted the number of heavy truck drivers in the UK, with many European drivers who were still in the UK returning home due to travel restrictions.
“The staff shortages are well and truly here and there is a whole new group of employees who need to be trained, from truck drivers to restaurant staff,” Foye added, saying that despite the UK’s lifting of restrictions, the cases took longer to come to the fore. Covid levels.
“In the UK you are 100% open, but because of the effect of Covid, because people’s habits have changed and some outlets have closed, you are really only 65% of 2019 level.
“We believe it will take two years to get back to 90-95% in the UK.”
A version of this article originally appeared on our sister title, NationalWorld
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Source: www.bedfordtoday.co.uk
This notice was published: 2021-09-04 09:32:09
