Current Affairs

[screwy]

And I heard the Road Haulage Association being blamed for leaking it. But neither excuses the idiot sheep panic buying.

Your correct Merv, the RHA represent the Big Haulage companies who have been responsible for driving down Uk drivers wages and conditions by employing mainly Eastern European drivers on minimum or just above wages.Now these drivers have gone following Brexitthe companies have been having to pay its Uk drivers more, eating into their profits,guess what? The RHA leak the memo to the Beeb etc. If you go on the BP careers site, there are no vacancies for Drivers.!

[screwy]

Now, UK haulage companies (note I said COMPANIES and not drivers) are represented by the Road Haulage Association (RHA) they represent ALL of the largest hauliers in the UK, and they actively lobby on their behalf trying to persuade governmental ministers and MPs to make changes to laws ETC to favour the MASSIVE hauliers they represent, these hauliers fund the RHA as well as providing "perks" for their representatives..
Ok, Back in 2004, when Schengen was opened up, these MASSSIVE haulage companies advertised driving jobs to Eastern European truckers in Eastern Europe, and even set agencies up over there to deal with applications and getting drivers over here, they advertised driving jobs on minimum or just over wages, and they came by the 1000 to drive trucks on wages that undercut UK drivers, and slowly but surely over time UK drivers wages were eroded. this meant drivers had to either put up, or leave the industry.
UK drivers were leaving for other reasons too (poverty conditions, poor treatment by office staff ETC ETC) but for many it was the erosion of wages that was the final straw. the only EXEMPTION to this were the Fuel contract drivers, they had (and still do have) top wages and conditions, and a high driver retention rate, you cant get a fuel job for love nor money, believe me i have tried! also there is no "shortage" of drivers there are an estimated 60K UK based drivers with a HGV entitlement who are not in the industry after leaving it, that's before you include those waiting for tests, and those 1000s stuck licence less in the backlogs currently at the DVLA (who are on strike BTW) waiting for medical reviews and renewals!
Now lets fast forward to this week. Every day this week (w/c 12/9/21) I have heard the RHA on EVERY news channel banging the drum about getting Eastern European drivers (remember the ones that eroded our wages) back to drive trucks, to help with the "shortage" (bollocks, its to help put more profit in the pockets of those massive hauliers they represent) Thankfully they have repeatedly fobbed off by ministers (good for them, they can see through them too). and the RHA are getting nowhere!
Then, suddenly, On Thursday afternoon it on the national news outlets "petrol forecourts closing due to driver shortage" and as part of the news article the drum banging by the RHA that has been going on all week! AAAAHHHHHH Makes sense now! the reality is BP and ESSO's with Tesco concessions have closed a small number of forecourts, in well served areas totalling less than 100 sites in the south of England, this would normally not even make the local news, let alone the national news! so someone has "bigged it up" to the media, thus causing a panic amongst the public and playing right into the hands of the RHA who now have support from more of the public who don't realise they have been played!! THIS IS NOTHING MORE THAN A PLAY BY THE RHA TO PERSUADE MINISTERS BY PUBLIC PRESSURE, TO RE-ALLOW LOW PAID EASTERN EUROPEAN DRIVERS BACK INTO THE UK TO ERODE OUR WAGES ONCE MORE. DONT BE FOOLED!!
The dozen or so MASSIVE haulage companies have had their profits eroded by having to pay us drivers some decent wages, they don't like that so have got their lackies (the RHA) to dream something up to help them, this is it!! go to BPs careers website, type HGV driver in the career box and see what happens "sorry no vacancies" but yet they are short staffed?? NO WAY! its a hoax, its complete utter bollocks that the UK have lapped up...
This is not my work, something i was sent.

[Onelife]

I was only saying to my wife this morning that there could be ulterior motives behind theses fuel distribution shortages.

[Mervyn and Trish]

Screwy post 11877. Bang on. What many remainers can't or won't grasp is that many of us voted for Brexit, among other things, to stop such behaviour.

[Quizzical Bob]

Screwy post 11877. Bang on. What many remainers can't or won't grasp is that many of us voted for Brexit, among other things, to stop such behaviour.

That worked well

Brexit is not just responsible for a fall in the number of HGV drivers that operate within the UK. There is also the other effect that foreign haulage contractors have stopped doing UK operations whilst they were over here which has resulted in UK firms having to handle the extra demand.

[towny44]

If Screwys is right, and also the comments coming from europe about a driver shortage there as well, then I doubt the RHA will get many applications for this 3 month visa scheme.
However it has been fascinating watching a succession of cars driving into the nearby BP station, then driving straight through as they notice all the pumps are capped off. We really are a bunch of sheep when someone on the TV says shortages, we flock in droves to stock up, even though we dont really need it, but hate the idea that our always available lifestyle might be compromised.

[Kendhni]

Screwy post 11877. Bang on. What many remainers can't or won't grasp is that many of us voted for Brexit, among other things, to stop such behaviour.

That worked well

Brexit is not just responsible for a fall in the number of HGV drivers that operate within the UK. There is also the other effect that foreign haulage contractors have stopped doing UK operations whilst they were over here which has resulted in UK firms having to handle the extra demand.

While brexit has very obviously played a significant role in the current issues, there are undoubtedly other things at play too. This can be seen by other countries also having a shortage of drivers. My brother was telling me at the weekend that his brother-in-law has moved all bar one of his lorries over to mainland Europe (the reason cited was the amount of time and money wasted bringing lorries in and out of the UK).

Personally I think the long term solution lies with improving logistics and reducing the number of vehicles and drivers that are needed - not recruiting more.

[barney]

Brexit vote 2016
Alleged crisis 2021
The industry must shoulder some blame

[Mervyn and Trish]

Screwy post 11877. Bang on. What many remainers can't or won't grasp is that many of us voted for Brexit, among other things, to stop such behaviour.

That worked well

Brexit is not just responsible for a fall in the number of HGV drivers that operate within the UK. There is also the other effect that foreign haulage contractors have stopped doing UK operations whilst they were over here which has resulted in UK firms having to handle the extra demand.

More business for UK firms. Another positive result. They just need to get their act together and stop screwing their employees. And they're not the only guilty industry.

[david63]

I think the long term solution lies with improving logistics

The solution is that we don't have to have everything available to 24/7. A lot of the blame lies with the supermarkets. If they only stocked produce that was in season in this country rather than having to have strawberries on Christmas Day we would all be in a better place (in more ways that one)

[Kendhni]

I agree, David - back to seasonal foods would be a good start.
I remember the days when everything was 'Please allow at least 28 days for delivery' now if it isn't delivered in 28 hours people seem to be on social media complaining.

[towny44]

I agree, David - back to seasonal foods would be a good start.
I remember the days when everything was 'Please allow at least 28 days for delivery' now if it isn't delivered in 28 hours people seem to be on social media complaining.

Not sure that my strawberries would taste too good if it took 28 days to deliver them.

[Kendhni]

You could shrink wrap each one individually

[david63]

Not sure that my strawberries would taste too good if it took 28 days to deliver them.

Why would it take 28 days to deliver them? The whole point is that they would be delivered locally so two days at the most.

[towny44]

You could shrink wrap each one individually

A reasonable suggestion, but I guess the mold spores will already be on the strawbs, so they will just go off quicker.

[Kendhni]

Free antibiotics

[Manoverboard]

The sale of large fuel cans is 170 times greater than this time last year ... that should be stopped.

[screwy]

Who would have thought.

[david63]

The sale of large fuel cans is 170 times greater than this time last year .

Isn't storage of petrol illegal without a licence? Just saying

[Stephen]

Storing petrol rules

https://www.bing.com/search?q=do+you+ne ... bb6c91dbb8

[Manoverboard]

Another thought struck me while watching the petrol queues ... the majority seemed to be driving BMWs and Mercs

[screwy]

and your point is.?

[Stephen]

Also it was intersting to note, pre panic buying almost everyone wore a mask when going to pay. I didn't notice one person wearing one this morning.

[Kendhni]

Also it was intersting to note, pre panic buying almost everyone wore a mask when going to pay. I didn't notice one person wearing one this morning.

I have been noticing exactly the same around here - more an more people are not wearing masks when in shops etc. I suspect that might change though when the winter sets in.

[barney]

Northern Ireland Unionists form alliance to bring down the illegal Northern Ireland Protocol.
Eu and U.K. need a rethink.