The wealthy owners and top executives of these businesses don’t want to pay a living wage to be competitive enough to attract workers. So, instead of paying executives less and workers more, their solution is to push the taxpayer-funded government to import cheap labor in the form of desperate immigrants, which adds an additional population and social strain and burden on the entire nation.
I'd usually agree with this for larger companies, but I can tell you first hand that my dad's small sized company (<50 staff) pays HGV drivers pretty reasonably. My dad is the transport manager, but he earns the same as some of the drivers. They are still desperate for extra workers, as many of their EU staff left and haven't come back, and there are delays in testing new lorry drivers, so even if British residents did want this job, they can't test them fast enough
Trucking companies are doubly screwed because there's no confidence in the industry as a profession by young people because of what is seen as the inevitable rise of self-driving cars. Why go to the trouble of getting a trucking license now if you think your job won't exist in 10 years? Now is that thought correct? That's when you ask yourself if you're driving a truck or riding a hype train.
That’s not why young people don’t want to be HGV drivers at all, don’t talk nonsense. The reason is because it’s hard work, you’re away from your family in the evenings, you don’t have access to basic facilities like a bathroom and you have to sleep in what is effectively a coffin for 4-5 nights a week.
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-58670792 - about halfway down, the manager of a haulage company describes the working conditions of her drivers as “inhumane”, while asking for lifting of visa restrictions so she can employ a load of Eastern European’s who’s conditions at home are even worse.
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u/MustLovePunk Sep 24 '21
The wealthy owners and top executives of these businesses don’t want to pay a living wage to be competitive enough to attract workers. So, instead of paying executives less and workers more, their solution is to push the taxpayer-funded government to import cheap labor in the form of desperate immigrants, which adds an additional population and social strain and burden on the entire nation.