U.K. expected to ease visa rules
Britain is expected to announce plans to issue temporary work visas to truck drivers to ease an acute labour shortage that has led to fuel rationing at hundreds of gas stations and long queues to fill up with pumps running dry in some places.
Up to 5,000 temporary visas could be granted for HGV drivers, it has been reported. The petrol problems follow growing concern over the impact the lack of HGV drivers is having on supermarket supplies, with fears Christmas shopping could be hindered without action. As suggested by experts, the industry is short of about 90,000 drivers.
Trucking companies have been urging the Conservative government to ease immigration rules so drivers can more easily be recruited from across Europe. Britain’s farming and food processing industries, which are short of fruit-pickers and meat-packers, have made similar requests.
