With the warehousing and logistics industry facing one of the worst staff shortages in known history, the Government has been blasted by industry experts with ‘poverty wages’ and poor conditions cited as reasons for failing to attract more candidates to job vacancies.

Ministers have warned companies that they should increase their wages and improve working conditions rather than complain about the shortage of foreign labour. Many logistics and warehousing firms have been criticised for offering low salaries to prospective staff while lobbying for immigration rules to be relaxed.

Back in 2020, the UK was significantly ‘under-warehoused’ with this demand now increased to breaking point due to the growing trend for online shopping, but the failure of the Government to consider the role of Covid-19 and Brexit in the staff shortage is infuriating members of the industry who are struggling to keep operational wheels turning with limited employees.

Midland Pallet Trucks, a provider of high-quality lifting equipment including pallet trucks, manual stacker trucks and lift tables, has played a key role in supporting the industry throughout the Covid-19 pandemic and Brexit and is fully supportive of the warehousing and logistics sector as they continue to fight to secure the staff they need to maintain a productive and safe workplace.

“As employers with a large warehouse facility ourselves, we’ve been working with members of the industry over the last two years and fully understand the impact that Brexit and Covid-19 have had on the ability to attract and retain skilled staff,” said Phil Chesworth, Managing Director of Midland Pallet Trucks.

“By supporting them in their bid to improve conditions and ensure a healthy and safe workplace with our extensive range of materials handling equipment, we are all too aware of the other challenges they face and feel that the government simply saying that a pay rise will be enough to attract workers to the sector is unrealistic with so many other external factors in play.

“Therefore, we are going to continue to do all we possibly can to lighten the load on current UK warehouse and logistics workers by providing high-quality materials handling equipment as quickly as possible from our centrally located warehouse as the run-up to the festive season begins.”

My Cart