Supply Issues and Shortages In The Construction Industry

[albaPhenom]

Gearing up to do a brick slip project and being told it's 20 week lead in for this too.

It's beyond doubt to me that the root cause is now Brexit, we're seeing food shortages shutting national chain outlets down, supermarket shelves are bare and it's becoming impossible to work in construction due to material supply issues. More companies are just outright stating that Brexit is the issue here.

I've steered away from the politics in this thread as I do in the forum as a general rule but it's becoming a serious enough issue that a spade has to be called a spade. I'm hearing that the EU are not experiencing these same problems.

If it is Brexit, what's the solution to this... it's not going to get any better soon, just worse.

 

[Ouch77]

If it is Brexit, what's the solution to this... it's not going to get any better soon, just worse.

All but the most short sighted would have realized that when you make it difficult for certain people to work here, there's going to be a gap in the labour pool. I guess nobody did their homework to identify the areas where staff will be short and put in place mechanisms to fill that gap ahead of time.

 

[albaPhenom]

All but the most short sighted would have realized that when you make it difficult for certain people to work here, there's going to be a gap in the labour pool. I guess nobody did their homework to identify the areas where staff will be short and put in place mechanisms to fill that gap ahead of time.

But is it also a problem of just bringing stuff into the country?

Things being held up at customs and such like.

We have a few products which come in from the EU but the transport on that alone is and always has been approx £20,000 ... so we haven’t seen any real changes to that, maybe a slight increase.

 

[Mottie]

I'm hearing that the EU are not experiencing these same problems.

You should try looking for yourself instead of listening to others. It’s a worldwide problem although looking on this forum you could be led to believe it’s just the UK and that’s because of Brexit. It’s not.

https://www.construction-europe.com...aterials-shortages-and-prices/8012749.article

https://www.cemnet.com/News/story/1...hreatened-by-building-material-shortages.html

https://www.pbctoday.co.uk/news/plant-equipment-supplies-news/2021-building-materials-crisis/96690/

 

[albaPhenom]

You should try looking for yourself instead of listening to others. It’s a worldwide problem although looking on this forum you could be led to believe it’s just the UK and that’s because of Brexit. It’s not.

https://www.construction-europe.com...aterials-shortages-and-prices/8012749.article

https://www.cemnet.com/News/story/1...hreatened-by-building-material-shortages.html

https://www.pbctoday.co.uk/news/plant-equipment-supplies-news/2021-building-materials-crisis/96690/

We have companies outright stating the issues are caused by Brexit. There is no doubt an issue with stock shortage globally but this is clearly compounded by Brexit. You're own link states this in regard to a shortage of HGV drivers.

If that's not the case then what about the food supply shortages?

https://www.reuters.com/world/uk/shakes-chicken-go-off-menu-firms-urge-uk-act-2021-08-26/
https://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/politics/brexit-chicken-shortages-nandos-kfc-b1905147.html
https://www.theguardian.com/environ...staff-supply-shortages-uk-immigration-jobs-eu

Anyone at this stage not recognising that Brexit is causing major problems has their head buried in the sand and the defensive way you reacted here suggests you're a Brexit voter who doesn't want to recognise it might not have been a good call for the country.

 

[sxturbo]

As Mottie said, it's a worldwide issue not just a UK issue.

Brexit has had a small impact, with adding to the delays.

There is also a Europe wide glut of HGV driver shortages, I'm not saying brexit hasn't compounded the issues in the UK, but again it's not solely because of brexit

https://www.bifa.org/news/articles/...isis-now-spreading-across-the-whole-of-europe

https://www.globalcoldchainnews.com/driver-shortage-is-pan-european/

There is a labour shortage across Europe also, it's not solely the UK but again brexit has compounded the issue a bit further

https://www.bloomberg.com/news/arti...jobs-crunch-that-may-be-deeper-than-the-u-s-s

https://www.eurofound.europa.eu/pub...sectors-the-problem-is-now-emerging-in-others

It's also a similar story for fruit and vegetable pickers

https://www.google.com/amp/s/mobile.reuters.com/article/amp/idUSL5N2C12PE

 

[JohnD]

Brexit has had a small impact

Small?

 

[sxturbo]

Small?

On the building trade yes.

On the wider scope across all sectors the full effects are still to known, but it has had an impact

 

[JohnD]

On the building trade yes.

On the wider scope across all sectors the full effects are still to known, but it has had an impact

what's the percentage in UK, and what is it in EU27?

 

[sxturbo]

what's the percentage in UK, and what is it in EU27?

No idea, do you?

The building materials supply shortage is currently worldwide, there is no denying that, and I haven't denied brexit has played a part

 

[JohnD]

No idea

So what makes you say "small?"

 

[Mottie]

So what makes you say "small?"

Because all countries in the world have the same problem and they had nothing to do with Brexit. What makes you think it’s large?

 

[sxturbo]

So what makes you say "small?"

So your saying that without brexit we wouldn't be seeing the same supply issues as the test of the world?

Next you'll be saying the worldwide electronics chip shortage is down to brexit.

Or that new car production has slowed down worldwide because of brexit..

 

[Notch7]

There is also a Europe wide glut of HGV driver shortages, I'm not saying brexit hasn't compounded the issues in the UK, but again it's not solely because of brexit

EU is not having supply chain issues

UK is having supply chain issues...and it is caused by brexit

sure there is a world wide problem but brexit makes it worse for UK

 

[Notch7]

Because all countries in the world have the same problem and they had nothing to do with Brexit. What makes you think it’s large?

there is a global supply chain problem

UK has a global supply chain problem PLUS a self imposed problem caused by brexit