Resolving staff shortages
THE prime minister Boris Johnson insists he will not resort to “uncontrolled immigration” to solve shortages of workers currently crippling the British economy.
In principle, there is some logic to stopping the free movement of labour. But now that the UK has left the European Union, it is also the government’s responsibility to ensure the postpandemic economy is not stalled by the government’s doctrinaire approach.
Take, for example, the plight of hotelier Surinder Arora, who employed 2,500 people before the pandemic. That is now down to 2,000, but he cannot recruit the other 500 he needs.
“We had a lot of East Europeans in the industry,” he tells me. “A lot of East Europeans have gone back. And you just cannot recruit staff. Not many are coming back at all. And now, of course, as we are out of Europe, we can’t bring them back.”
He has even offered to find accommodation for the workers he brings in and pay their medical bills, but still ministers won’t listen.
What about recruiting British people, as the government recommends?
“I’d love to recruit anyone, whether it’s Europeans, Asians, black, white, anyone,” he responds. “But you can’t get them.”
Some critics allege there are those in this country who would rather not work if they can live on welfare. Whatever the reason, if the vacancies cannot be filled locally, the government should help employers like Surinder get the staff they need – and not resort to Brexit slogans.
Brexit might offer “jam tomorrow” but Surinder’s problem of staff shortages needs to be solved now.