The Press and Journal (Inverness, Highlands, and Islands)
Truckers face longer hours
The UK Government has announced a temporary extension to lorry drivers’ hours amid a shortage of workers.
The decision was announced in a tweet from a Department for Transport (DfT) minister.
Baroness Charlotte Vere, Parliamentary UnderSecretary of State in the DfT, tweeted: “We’re temporarily extending drivers’ hours rules from Mon 12 July to allow HGV drivers to make slightly longer journeys where necessary, as we’re aware of a current shortage of drivers.
“Driver safety must not be compromised and operators must notify DfT if this relaxation is used.”
Businesses and union officials have been warning of a shortage of drivers which threatens deliveries to supermarkets and other sectors of the economy.
Unite union national officer for road transport Adrian Jones said the announcement will do nothing to resolve the problem of driver shortages, adding: “Asking an already exhausted workforce to work even longer is likely to make an already difficult situation worse.
“Driving regulations are highly complex and to announce a relaxation on Twitter without any proper detail has simply created more confusion and uncertainty across the sector.”
He added: “Unite will be advising its members to not place themselves in danger and that, if they are too tired to drive safely, they have a legal right to refuse to do so. Unite will fully support those who make that decision legally and industrially.”
A UK Government spokesman said: “We’re working with industry and have already taken action on HGV driver shortages, including ramping up vocational test capacity and funding apprenticeships.”
He added: “Most of the solutions, however, are likely to be driven by industry, with progress already being made in testing and hiring, and a big push towards improving pay, working conditions and diversity.”
Shadow transport minister Kerry McCarthy said: “The ongoing shortage of HGV drivers is a ticking time-bomb for suppliers of goods, including vital food supplies. This short-term fix will put the safety of drivers at risk.”