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I know Proth gets a lot of grief and ridicule when he uses his ‘low wages’ to blame argument whilst some are equally quick to blame Brexit for the shortage of HGV drivers.
 
Brexit is far from the only reason for the shortages of drivers with many Polish and Romanian drivers never intending to work permanently in Britain and others leaving for home as soon as the pandemic hit, quite naturally and understandably. Then there is the massive increase in demand for deliveries, to homes and industry.
 
Here are some excerpts from an article in the i news site and some vlogs from drivers themselves. Makes for interesting reading and listening.
 
“For example, the pandemic has caused a dramatic increase in demand for kerbside deliveries of everyday products such as turf and slabs, as householders embarked on lockdown DIY, with the ratio of home deliveries increasing from one-in-10 pre-pandemic to one-in-four today.
 
27.8 million pallets delivered by UK networks in the last year, a 3.2 per cent growth year-on-year. Sixty-three per cent of these were next day delivery.
 
It estimates about 30,000 HGV driving tests were lost last year because of the Covid pandemic.
 
The Department of Transport says it is "well aware of HGV driver shortages".
In a statement, it said: "Most of the solutions are commercial and within the industry, with progress already being made in key areas such as testing and recruitment, and a big focus towards improving pay, working conditions and diversity."  (only 6% of lorry drivers are female )
 
‘Haulage bosses lowered wages when they could rely on EU workers to fill positions ‘
‘A national shortage of lorry drivers is down to poor pay, theft and a lack of toilets on the road. That is according to HGV drivers who have told i of the “hellholes” in which they routinely stay overnight, criminals who ransack the lorries and filling stations that refuse them access to toilets.’ (Although, listening to one of the lorry drivers below and his view of his fellow drivers, I can’t blame them.)
 
‘ “While Brexit has led to an exodus of foreign workers, including drivers, the shortage has been exacerbated by increasing numbers of British drivers choosing to leave over poor pay and working conditions”. said Philip Esson, who has been driving HGVs for nearly 30 years and runs his own haulage firm.’
 
https://inews.co.uk/news/british-lorry-driver-shortage-food-waste-low-pay-hellhole-service-stations-no-toilets-1065879
 
 Here’s some views from the horses’ mouths:
 https://youtu.be/9hSake-OUXU
 https://youtu.be/x8k8k1Mia2I
 https://youtu.be/YbVu-uT1gjk
 https://youtu.be/cvM8jIb6Lug
Proth is right to suggest that low wages is a reason for a shortage of HGV drivers and this isn't the only industry where low wages are a barrier to recruitment.

Probably needs to ask why are the wages low?
(07-05-2021, 09:44 AM)JOK Wrote: [ -> ]I know Proth gets a lot of grief and ridicule when he uses his ‘low wages’ to blame argument whilst some are equally quick to blame Brexit for the shortage of HGV drivers.
 
Brexit is far from the only reason for the shortages of drivers with many Polish and Romanian drivers never intending to work permanently in Britain and others leaving for home as soon as the pandemic hit, quite naturally and understandably. Then there is the massive increase in demand for deliveries, to homes and industry.
 
Here are some excerpts from an article in the i news site and some vlogs from drivers themselves. Makes for interesting reading and listening.
 
“For example, the pandemic has caused a dramatic increase in demand for kerbside deliveries of everyday products such as turf and slabs, as householders embarked on lockdown DIY, with the ratio of home deliveries increasing from one-in-10 pre-pandemic to one-in-four today.
 
27.8 million pallets delivered by UK networks in the last year, a 3.2 per cent growth year-on-year. Sixty-three per cent of these were next day delivery.
 
It estimates about 30,000 HGV driving tests were lost last year because of the Covid pandemic.
 
The Department of Transport says it is "well aware of HGV driver shortages".
In a statement, it said: "Most of the solutions are commercial and within the industry, with progress already being made in key areas such as testing and recruitment, and a big focus towards improving pay, working conditions and diversity."  (only 6% of lorry drivers are female )
 
‘Haulage bosses lowered wages when they could rely on EU workers to fill positions ‘
‘A national shortage of lorry drivers is down to poor pay, theft and a lack of toilets on the road. That is according to HGV drivers who have told i of the “hellholes” in which they routinely stay overnight, criminals who ransack the lorries and filling stations that refuse them access to toilets.’ (Although, listening to one of the lorry drivers below and his view of his fellow drivers, I can’t blame them.)
 
‘ “While Brexit has led to an exodus of foreign workers, including drivers, the shortage has been exacerbated by increasing numbers of British drivers choosing to leave over poor pay and working conditions”. said Philip Esson, who has been driving HGVs for nearly 30 years and runs his own haulage firm.’
 
https://inews.co.uk/news/british-lorry-driver-shortage-food-waste-low-pay-hellhole-service-stations-no-toilets-1065879
 
 Here’s some views from the horses’ mouths:
 https://youtu.be/9hSake-OUXU
 https://youtu.be/x8k8k1Mia2I
 https://youtu.be/YbVu-uT1gjk
 https://youtu.be/cvM8jIb6Lug

I work in the transport industry there has been a shortage of Hgv drivers for the best part of a decade ,its nothing new.
(07-05-2021, 10:26 AM)Shabby Russian Wrote: [ -> ]Probably needs to ask why are the wages low?

I think I've answered that often enough, but at the risk of repeating myself:

1. Unlimited supply of labour from Eastern Europe, Spain & Portugal willing to put up with awful wages, hours and conditions as they're still better than work at home / unemployment at home.
2. Crap wages can often be supplemented by tax credits / child benefit which means the State is subsidising companies who pay poverty wages.
3. Too many companies exist who only make a profit by paying crap wages.
4. Too few companies will invest in automation whilst wages are so low.
5. We're too eager to accept all of the above to keep supermarket prices cheap.
(07-05-2021, 10:42 AM)Protheroe Wrote: [ -> ]
(07-05-2021, 10:26 AM)Shabby Russian Wrote: [ -> ]Probably needs to ask why are the wages low?

I think I've answered that often enough, but at the risk of repeating myself:

1. Unlimited supply of labour from Eastern Europe, Spain & Portugal willing to put up with awful wages, hours and conditions as they're still better than work at home / unemployment at home.
2. Crap wages can often be supplemented by tax credits / child benefit which means the State is subsidising companies who pay poverty wages.
3. Too many companies exist who only make a profit by paying crap wages.
4. Too few companies will invest in automation whilst wages are so low.
5. We're too eager to accept all of the above to keep supermarket prices cheap.

A shortage of 100k drivers according to the RHA, of which 15k is down to European drivers leaving to go back home makes this argument a bit redundant.
(07-05-2021, 10:57 AM)baggy1 Wrote: [ -> ]
(07-05-2021, 10:42 AM)Protheroe Wrote: [ -> ]
(07-05-2021, 10:26 AM)Shabby Russian Wrote: [ -> ]Probably needs to ask why are the wages low?

I think I've answered that often enough, but at the risk of repeating myself:

1. Unlimited supply of labour from Eastern Europe, Spain & Portugal willing to put up with awful wages, hours and conditions as they're still better than work at home / unemployment at home.
2. Crap wages can often be supplemented by tax credits / child benefit which means the State is subsidising companies who pay poverty wages.
3. Too many companies exist who only make a profit by paying crap wages.
4. Too few companies will invest in automation whilst wages are so low.
5. We're too eager to accept all of the above to keep supermarket prices cheap.

A shortage of 100k drivers according to the RHA, of which 15k is down to European drivers leaving to go back home makes this argument a bit redundant.

I was answering the question that was asked. It's *ONE* reason why wages are so low.

It doesn't render the point redundant in the slightest. 15,000 drivers may have left the UK, but I'd bet the vast majority of them are still working in equally crappy conditions (though possibly for more money) in other countries around Europe. It staggers me that Remainers don't see improving wages and conditions of work as a positive outcome of Brexit, and some of these hauliers need to be dragged kicking and screaming into the 21st Century - or go out of business.

It's an unhealthy Thatcherite obsession of what's in it for me? (cheap food, abundant fresh strawberries, doorstep deliveries on a daily basis)
Improved conditions and pay could have (and should have) been achieved without Brexit, it is a completely irrelevant point shoehorned in because you're obsessed with Brexit. You won, get over it.

You and I aren't going to be affected by increased prices in supermarkets, however the 22% of the population that are in poverty after 11 years of conservative rule will be impacted. As you can imagine, I'm all for increased wages and conditions, it is what the Labour party were founded on and a foundation of the unions (which the Tories keep on trying to marginalise). I'm pleased that this late in life you are coming round to the core concept of The Trade Unions comrade.
(07-05-2021, 01:34 PM)baggy1 Wrote: [ -> ]Improved conditions and pay could have (and should have) been achieved without Brexit, it is a completely irrelevant point shoehorned in because you're obsessed with Brexit. You won, get over it.

You and I aren't going to be affected by increased prices in supermarkets, however the 22% of the population that are in poverty after 11 years of conservative rule will be impacted. As you can imagine, I'm all for increased wages and conditions, it is what the Labour party were founded on and a foundation of the unions (which the Tories keep on trying to marginalise). I'm pleased that this late in life you are coming round to the core concept of The Trade Unions comrade.

Proth now trying to reinvent himself as a working class hero, defender of the poor British worker.
I'm more surprised at his current campaign to show how the market economy has failed. He'll be re-nationalising sectors next.
(07-05-2021, 01:34 PM)baggy1 Wrote: [ -> ]Improved conditions and pay could have (and should have) been achieved without Brexit,

Bwahahahahahaha with unlimited freedom of movement? I'm not going to bother discussing this anymore.
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