The aftermath of Brexit is now impacting the ability to provide school meals through a lack of UK national lorry drivers available to deliver them.
The road haulage industry in the UK, like hospitality, is suffering from non UK nationals now being unable to continue to work in the UK. Road haulage and logistics bodies are reporting a shortage of circa 100,000 lorry drivers, due to Brexit legislation that excludes them from working.
The Food and Drink Federation, British Frozen Food Federation, Federation of Wholesale Distributors, Cold Chain Federation, Meat Producers Association and others have all sounded the alarm bells to government.
Also akin to hospitality the pandemic saw the impact of Brexit lay dormant until the country attempted to resume business, and the cupboard was bare. Industry representatives had and continue to warn the PM of school meals being affected, but to date have been ignored. Now, as the situation worsens the same industry bodies are warning of a crisis looming and school meal tables also being bare.
Local authorities are now faced with finding impromptu solutions to try and remedy as shortages of basic ingredients are being widely reported. Only last week Sheffield city council were forced to advise local schools that they may have to rely on emergency standby ingredients like dried pasta to feed children in their care.
Brexit has seen circa 15,000 European drivers exit the UK since the start of the year. This exodus coupled with a pause in HGV tests due to the pandemic has left gaps that cannot be filled in the short term.
The solution identified by those in the field facing the issue in their supply chains is to temporarily relax Brexit regulations. To allow essential workers to return to work through the recruitment of drivers from the EU talent pool.
It would seem that the issues faced by the UK supply chain responsible for the delivery of school meals to the nation’s children, is identical to hospitality’s in reopening, the experienced people required to do so have been forced out of the UK job market.
It would also seem that the solution proposed is also identical, we need to allow the people that did the jobs previously to return to them. You can sign the petition requesting government to do so here.
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Hospitality & Catering News: Road haulage, logistics, and school meals crisis aligns with hospitality’s perfectly. – 28 June 2021 – Road haulage, logistics, and school meals crisis aligns with hospitality’s perfectly.
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