Hundreds of overseas butchers are said to alleviate pork congestion on British farms. By the end of the year, up to 800 professionals can apply for temporary work visas, as the government in London announced on Friday night.
You can then stay in the country for up to six months. The government had previously announced a similar regulation for a maximum of 5,500 workers in the poultry processing industry.
British pig farmers warn that around 120,000 healthy animals would have to be killed on the farms and thrown in the trash if the situation does not ease. The slaughterhouses lack employees, the yards do not have enough space.
Local workers are to be attracted
One reason for the shortage of butchers is that the strict Brexit immigration rules are preventing the influx of skilled workers from the EU. This also affects other industries, especially truck drivers are rare.
The government now also wants to suspend a slaughter tax and promote additional accommodation for pigs ready for slaughter. At the same time, the government stressed that it expects the pork industry to offer better training and career opportunities, as well as pay increases to attract more local workers.
“Temporary visas are not a long-term solution and companies must invest long-term in the UK’s native workforce to build a high-paying and high-skilled economy rather than relying on foreign workers,” it said. (SDA)