UK lorry-driver crisis opens new road for HK job seekers

Hongkongers who emigrated to the United Kingdom could earn up to HK$50,000 a month driving lorries as Britain suffers from a major shortage of 100,000 drivers, among other trades.

Also in short supply are engineers, doctors, nurses and psychologists, says the shortage occupation list issued by the UK government.

About 1.66 million jobs were on offer at the end of August, with the number expected to rise in coming months, the UK Recruitment and Employment Confederation said in a report earlier this month.

Among the vacancies, nearly 80,000 are for nurses, 50,000 care workers and home carers, the confederation said.

Almost 30,000 chefs and 20,000 metal production and maintenance workers are needed.

Other roles with high vacancy rates include veterinary nurses, ambulance drivers and postal workers. The massive shortage of expertise came under the spotlight after employers were willing to pay staggering salaries to keep expertise in their companies.

Supermarkets were willing to offer 53,780 (HK$590,000) a year for lorry drivers to avoid significant disruption to their supplies in the run-up to Christmas, higher than the average annual pay for a secondary teacher or a lawyer who earn about 40,000 a year.

The UK's Road Haulage Association said the lorry drivers shortage is a result of workers leaving the industry, Brexit and Covid-19, which put a stop to driver training and testing for about a year.

The British government announced that it will offer 5,000 temporary visas for drivers of heavy goods vehicles to tackle the manpower shortage within the country.

Two Hong Kong lorry drivers in Britain, Anthony and Sunny, said the driving exam for heavy goods vehicles is strict, and the jargon in English could be challenging for some people.

They have yet to see a colleague who is also from Hong Kong.

They also think that 50,000 in annual salary should be logistic companies' attempt to lure veteran lorry drivers to work for them instead.

The UK allows Hong Kong licenses only for private vehicles, light goods vehicles and motorcycles to be exchanged for a British license without taking additional exams.

That would mean qualified lorry drivers in Hong Kong would have to take the examination once again in the UK, and it could take years to get the British license.

Applicants also have to pass medical checks before they are allowed to drive lorries on UK roads. Anthony, who emigrated to the UK a decade ago, said he started working in logistics four years ago, and delivers goods for supermarkets 10 hours a day, depending on the traffic.

"For some long-journey shifts, I drove from Scotland to London, which took around nine hours, and I stayed over in London for one night, and returned to Scotland to finish the shift," Anthony said.

Although he had to sleep in the truck cabin at rest stops beside motorways, he did not feel exhausted.

On the other hand, fresh graduate Sunny said he has been delivering goods with light goods vehicles when he was a student and found the driving job comfortable.

Meanwhile, a local newspaper in Britain found a farm in Boston in Lincolnshire - about 100 miles north of London - willing to pay workers 30 per hour or 240 a day - HK$660,000 a year - to pick broccoli and other crops.