Freight News, Logistics

We’d be lost without foreigners, FTA tells Grayling

[ October 10, 2016   //   Chris ]

EU staff are vital to logistics sector, Freight Transport Association (FTA) chief executive David Wells told the transport secretary at a meeting on 10 October. The FTA chief told Chris Grayling that EU workers are as vital to the logistics industry as they are to the NHS and construction sector.

Mr Wells met the Mr Grayling to outline the Association’s priorities to ensure Britain’s businesses stay competitive post Brexit. He highlighted existing labour shortages in the transport industry –drivers, forklift operators and warehouse staff – and told Mr Grayling that EU nationals made up 11% of the total workforce in the sector.

Mr Wells said the shortages meant British firms would need to retain existing EU workers and continue to recruit from outside the UK – currently there are 31,500 EU nationals working as drivers in the UK.

After the meeting, Mr Wells said: “The Transport Secretary took FTA members’ concerns on board and said he would press for tariff-free trade and endeavour to make the movement of goods as easy as possible.”

 

 

 

Tags: FTA