From chicken to sweets, product shortages affect the UK – the economy

Throughout United Kingdom, The slow-moving problem has caused a supply chain crisis in recent weeks, with restaurants, supermarkets and food companies warning their customers that popular products will be temporarily unavailable due to a shortage of truck drivers.

Oas milkshakes do McDonald’s, Products that were in short supply in the country during the summer include Nando’s chicken, Haripo sweets and milk. But the problem goes beyond that Food: Practically complete Industry Has been complaining about distribution problems. Companies are already warning that logistics issues could hinder the arrival of important toys and Christmas items for family lunches and dinners at the end of the year.

The long-term shortage of freight drivers has been exacerbated by post-market emissions.Brexit Workers in the European Union. In addition, there are problems in training new drivers due to infection. For years, the freight industry has been struggling to attract new drivers to the low-wage industry, which requires long and hard working hours.

“90% of everything we consume in the UK comes from the back of a truck,” said Rod McKenzie, policy director for the Road Halogen Association, which represents the road smuggling industry, and estimates there is a shortage of 100,000. Truck drivers. “If there are not enough drivers – and we have the news of big companies with hundreds of trucks parked – less goods will be delivered”.

In early summer in the UK, the German confectionery company Haripo said it was having trouble sending its sweets to British stores. Arla, a major milk producer, has had to cut its supply by a quarter more than usual. Last week, the popular restaurant chain Nando closed 50 of its restaurants due to the lack of its famous peri-peri chicken. This week Costa Coffee Shop and another coffee chain finally reported a shortage of their products due to supply chain problems.

Iceland, a large supermarket chain, sounds the alarm in the case of Christmas, warning retailers to start building stocks in early September, but instead the shelves are exhausted. Richard Walker, director of the network, said his company was short of 100 trucks to work full-time.

“It affects the entire supply chain on a daily basis,” Walter told the BBC. “For the first time since the outbreak we canceled deliveries – about 30 to 40 deliveries a day.”

You United States They struggle with a shortage of truck drivers; The crisis is similar in terms of the years in which it develops, with transportation companies failing to attract new truck drivers. In Great Britain, the average age of a truck driver is 50 years. Six years ago, Chartered Logistics and Transport said only 2% of truckers were under the age of 25 and that by 2022 the sector would need an additional 1.2 million employees.

Moreover, after the 2016 Brexit referendum, the value of the pound plummeted, making it less profitable for major continents of Europe – including truck drivers – to work in the UK, prompting some to return to their home country. The trend was exacerbated by the epidemic, and many wanted to be closer to their families.

Further restrictions will arise as the UK introduces testing of food and other products from the European continent later this year.

Companies raise higher salaries and offer bonuses to attract more drivers. Tesco, Britain’s largest supermarket chain, is offering a bonus of 1,000 1,000 (equivalent to about $ 1,370) to drivers who apply by the end of September, promising a further six-month pay rise. / Translation by Theresinha Martino