Budapest Post

Cum Deo pro Patria et Libertate
Budapest, Europe and world news

UK to allow temporary visas for butchers in latest post-Brexit U-turn

UK to allow temporary visas for butchers in latest post-Brexit U-turn

Move comes weeks after farmers began culling healthy pigs owing to lack of abattoir staff
The government has stepped in to counter a spiralling crisis on pig farms by allowing butchers to enter the UK on temporary visas, in the latest reversal of post-Brexit immigration policy.

Butchers in abattoirs and meat processing plants dealing with pigs will be allowed to come to work in Britain for six months, the environment secretary, George Eustice, announced on Thursday evening. He said 800 butchers were needed to meet staffing shortages and get the situation under control.

“That will help us to deal with the backlog of pigs that we currently have on farm, give those meat processors the ability to slaughter more pigs, and crucially as well we are going to make available what is called private storage aid to help those abattoirs to temporarily store that meat,” Eustice said.

Ministers also launched a consultation on extending cabotage rights, allowing foreign HGV drivers to make unlimited journeys for two weeks within the UK before returning home. Under the current rules drivers can only make two trips within seven days.

The intervention comes several weeks after farmers began culling healthy livestock because of a lack of staff in abattoirs where the animals are processed. In the last week alone, thousands of pigs are reported to have been destroyed.

A backlog of as many as 120,000 pigs were estimated to have been stranded long after they should have gone to slaughter, with pens becoming overcrowded and farmers forced to call in specialist teams to dispose of the surplus animals.

The storage aid scheme allows producers to store slaughtered pigs for between three and six months, so that they can be preserved safely and processed at a later date when the supply chain is under less pressure.

The government said the package of measures designed to help pig producers would include introducing processing of animals on Saturdays, as well as longer working days at processing plants.

In addition, ministers confirmed they would suspend for a month a levy on pork products for producers in England and Scotland, resulting in estimated savings of £1m for the sector.

However, they rejected calls for the government to remove the requirement for trained butchers from abroad to speak fluent English.

The meat industry is one of the many sectors of the UK economy struggling with labour shortages exacerbated by Covid-19 and Brexit, while a lack of HGV drivers has also disrupted supply chains.

Ministers had previously told farmers and processors they needed to employ more British workers instead of relying on labour from abroad.

The move is just the latest government U-turn on allowing seasonal workers from abroad into the UK to staff the food production and processing sector.

In the face of mounting food and fuel shortages, the government announced last month that it would grant 5,000 temporary visas to non-UK lorry drivers – although senior minister admitted on Wednesday that only 20 had been issued so far. Also promised was a further 5,500 visas for seasonal poultry workers that would last until 31 December.

Duncan Berkshire, a pig vet in Yorkshire who has been involved in discussions between the sector and ministers, cautiously welcomed the announcement on butchers.

“We are pleased that government has listened to us and responded at last. It is good to see some engagement, that is great,” he said.

He added: “We were hoping for longer. I am concerned over how many will want to come just for six months and if there is a limit on numbers, that will only get a bit of the system working and we will still end up with significant numbers of pigs left on farm.”

Berkshire said he was aware of thousands of pigs having been culled on farms over the past week, as a result of the backlog.

According to the British Meat Processors Association, non-UK workers account for two-thirds of a workforce that is missing 15% of the 95,000 people the meat processing industry usually employs. Reports suggest about 1,000 temporary visas could be issued.

The UK’s food and drink industry has been calling for a special year-long “Covid-19 recovery visa” to recruit overseas workers to help ease disruption in the food supply chain and to allow the hiring of butchers, chefs and other food industry workers.

Butchers and meat processing staff were not previously included in the seasonal worker pilot scheme, which issues 30,000 annual permits for non-UK nationals to work as horticulture labourers, picking fruit and crops.
AI Disclaimer: An advanced artificial intelligence (AI) system generated the content of this page on its own. This innovative technology conducts extensive research from a variety of reliable sources, performs rigorous fact-checking and verification, cleans up and balances biased or manipulated content, and presents a minimal factual summary that is just enough yet essential for you to function as an informed and educated citizen. Please keep in mind, however, that this system is an evolving technology, and as a result, the article may contain accidental inaccuracies or errors. We urge you to help us improve our site by reporting any inaccuracies you find using the "Contact Us" link at the bottom of this page. Your helpful feedback helps us improve our system and deliver more precise content. When you find an article of interest here, please look for the full and extensive coverage of this topic in traditional news sources, as they are written by professional journalists that we try to support, not replace. We appreciate your understanding and assistance.
Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
Pope Leo Warns of Societal Crisis Over Mega-CEO Pay, Citing Tesla’s Proposed Trillion-Dollar Package
Poland Green-Lights NATO Deployment in Response to Major Russian Drone Incursion
U.S. and China Agree on Framework to Shift TikTok to American Ownership
Le Pen Tightens the Pressure on Macron as France Edges Toward Political Breakdown
Czech Republic signs €1.34 billion contract for Leopard 2A8 main battle tanks with delivery from 2028
Penske Media Sues Google Over “AI Overviews,” Claiming It Uses Journalism Without Consent and Destroys Traffic
Indian Student Engineers Propose “Project REBIRTH” to Protect Aircraft from Crashes Using AI, Airbags and Smart Materials
One in Three Europeans Now Uses TikTok, According to the Chinese Tech Giant
Could AI Nursing Robots Help Healthcare Staffing Shortages?
NATO Deploys ‘Eastern Sentry’ After Russian Drones Violate Polish Airspace
The New Life of Novak Djokovic
German police raid AfD lawmaker’s offices in inquiry over Chinese payments
Volkswagen launches aggressive strategy to fend off Chinese challenge in Europe’s EV market
France Erupts in Mass ‘Block Everything’ Protests on New PM’s First Day
Poland Shoots Down Russian Drones in Airspace Violation During Ukraine Attack
Apple Introduces Ultra-Thin iPhone Air, Enhanced 17 Series and New Health-Focused Wearables
Macron Appoints Sébastien Lecornu as Prime Minister Amid Budget Crisis and Political Turmoil
Vatican hosts first Catholic LGBTQ pilgrimage
Apple Unveils iPhone 17 Series, iPhone Air, Apple Watch 11 and More at 'Awe Dropping' Event
France joins Eurozone’s ‘periphery’ as turmoil deepens, say investors
France Faces New Political Crisis, again, as Prime Minister Bayrou Pushed Out
Nayib Bukele Points Out Belgian Hypocrisy as Brussels Considers Sending Army into the Streets
France, at an Impasse, Heads Toward Another Government Collapse
The Country That Got Too Rich? Public Spending Dominates Norway Election
EU Proposes Phasing Out Russian Oil and Gas by End of 2027 to End Energy Dependence
More Than 150,000 Followers for a Fictional Character: The New Influencers Are AI Creations
EU Prepares for War
Trump Threatens Retaliatory Tariffs After EU Imposes €2.95 Billion Fine on Google
Tesla Board Proposes Unprecedented One-Trillion-Dollar Performance Package for Elon Musk
Gold Could Reach Nearly $5,000 if Fed Independence Is Undermined, Goldman Sachs Warns
Uruguay, Colombia and Paraguay Secure Places at 2026 World Cup
Trump Administration Advances Plans to Rebrand Pentagon as Department of War Instead of the Fake Term Department of Defense
Big Tech Executives Laud Trump at White House Dinner, Unveil Massive U.S. Investments
Tether Expands into Gold Sector with Profit-Driven Diversification
‘Looks Like a Wig’: Online Users Express Concern Over Kate Middleton
Florida’s Vaccine Revolution: DeSantis Declares War on Mandates
Trump’s New War – and the ‘Drug Tyrant’ Fearing Invasion: ‘1,200 Missiles Aimed at Us’
"The Situation Has Never Been This Bad": The Fall of PepsiCo
At the Parade in China: Laser Weapons, 'Eagle Strike,' and a Missile Capable of 'Striking Anywhere in the World'
The Fashion Designer Who Became an Italian Symbol: Giorgio Armani Has Died at 91
Putin Celebrates ‘Unprecedentedly High’ Ties with China as Gazprom Seals Power of Siberia-2 Deal
China Unveils New Weapons in Grand Military Parade as Xi Hosts Putin and Kim
Rapper Cardi B Cleared of Liability in Los Angeles Civil Assault Trial
Google Avoids Break-Up in U.S. Antitrust Case as Stocks Rise
Couple celebrates 80th wedding anniversary at assisted living facility in Lancaster
Information Warfare in the Age of AI: How Language Models Become Targets and Tools
The White House on LinkedIn Has Changed Their Profile Picture to Donald Trump
"Insulted the Prophet Muhammad": Woman Burned Alive by Angry Mob in Niger State, Nigeria
Trump Responds to Death Rumors – Announces 'Missile City'
Druzhba Pipeline Incident Sparks Geopolitical Tensions
×