Huge pressures and challenges facing the haulage and logistics industry were laid bare to Natasha Asghar MS this week.
The South East Wales Senedd Member met with the Road Haulage Association and other stakeholders at a skills summit in Cardiff’s Principality Stadium on Monday (July 11).
Struggles with recruitment and retention, as well as the industry’s skills shortage, were the main topics of conversation.
Between February and April this year, there were 1.3m vacancies in the industry with that number growing day by day.
There are a number of reasons for the shortages such as an aging workforce, general lack of respect for the profession and poor facilities.
In Wales, there simply aren’t enough toilet or shower facilities for drivers with reports of some drivers having to defecate in bags.
As well as addressing those issues, more also needs to be done to encourage people to start a career in the profession and to make sure they get the respect they merit.
After the skills summit, Natasha Asghar raised the issue in the Senedd and called for the Welsh Government to outline what it was doing to get people involved in the industry.
She told the Welsh Parliament:
“We need to encourage people from across Wales to get involved in the industry. Working in haulage or logistics doesn’t simply mean driving.
“There is a vast array of job opportunities in the sector, and everything needs to be done to raise awareness of this – and we all have a responsibility in this.
“There are several routes to get young people into the industry such as apprenticeships and traineeships, but in England there are two more great routes – skills bootcamps and T-Levels.
“According to the RHA, the skills bootcamps have been a huge success with courses being oversubscribed and the T-Levels are a fantastic way to put logistics on the curriculum.
“So, I would like to request a statement about what the Welsh Government is doing to encourage more people to pursue a career in logistics and haulage, and what discussions has the government had about introducing T-levels here in Wales?”
Labour minister Lesley Griffiths didn’t give a constructive answer, putting the blame on the UK Government and Brexit.
Speaking outside the chamber, Natasha Asghar MS said:
“The logistics and haulage industry – like many other sectors – are facing huge challenges with recruitment and retainment amongst other issues.
“It is vital politicians of all stripes come together and draw up a serious set of solutions to plug the shortfall, fix the major problems, and help make the industry an attractive career option.
“Whilst the Minister’s answer this week in the Welsh Parliament was extremely disappointing, I am not deterred and will continue to fly the flag until we see improvements because without drivers and the behind-the-scenes staff things would fall apart.
“These hardworking men and women are the ones who made sure we had food on our table last Christmas and were responsible for getting vaccines and other vital items to us throughout the pandemic. They deserve all the respect in the world for the back-breaking work they do.”
__________________________________________________________________
Angen atebion go iawn i ddatrys problemau mawr yn y diwydiant cludo a logisteg, meddai AS
Esboniwyd y pwysau a’r heriau sylweddol sy’n wynebu’r diwydiant cludo a logisteg wrth Natasha Asghar AS yr wythnos hon.
Bu’r Aelod o’r Senedd dros Dde Ddwyrain Cymru mewn cyfarfod â’r Gymdeithas Cludo ar y Ffyrdd a rhanddeiliaid eraill mewn uwchgynhadledd sgiliau yn Stadiwm Principality Caerdydd ddydd Llun (11 Gorffennaf).
Anawsterau gyda recriwtio a chadw, ynghyd â diffyg sgiliau yn y diwydiant, oedd prif bynciau’r sgwrs.
Rhwng mis Chwefror a mis Ebrill eleni, roedd 1.3 miliwn o swyddi gwag yn y diwydiant gyda’r nifer yn cynyddu o ddydd i ddydd.
Mae sawl rheswm dros y prinder, fel gweithlu sy’n heneiddio, diffyg parch cyffredinol at y proffesiwn a chyfleusterau gwael.
Yng Nghymru, nid oes digon o gyfleusterau toiledau a chawodydd i yrwyr, gydag adroddiadau am rai gyrwyr yn gorfod ymgarthu mewn bagiau.
Yn ogystal â mynd i’r afael â’r problemau hynny, mae angen gwneud mwy hefyd i annog pobl i ddechrau gyrfa yn y proffesiwn, a gofalu eu bod yn cael y parch y maent yn ei haeddu.
Ar ôl yr uwchgynhadledd sgiliau, cododd Natasha Asghar y mater yn y Senedd a galwodd ar Lywodraeth Cymru i amlinellu’r hyn yr oedd yn ei wneud i gael pobl i ymuno â’r diwydiant.
Dywedodd wrth y Senedd:
“Mae angen i ni annog pobl o bob rhan o Gymru i ymuno â’r diwydiant. Mae mwy i weithio ym maes cludo a logisteg na gyrru yn unig.
“Mae yna bob math o swyddi yn y sector, ac mae angen gwneud popeth i godi ymwybyddiaeth o hyn – ac mae gan bob un ohonom gyfrifoldeb i wneud hyn.
“Mae sawl ffordd o gael pobl ifanc i mewn i’r diwydiant, fel prentisiaethau a hyfforddeiaethau, ond mae dwy ffordd wych arall yn Lloegr - bŵt-camp sgiliau a Lefelau-T.
“Yn ôl y Gymdeithas Cludo ar y Ffyrdd, mae’r cyrsiau bŵt-camp wedi bod yn llwyddiant ysgubol gyda gormod y tanysgrifio ar gyfer cyrsiau ac mae’r Lefelau-T yn ffordd wych o gynnwys logisteg yn y cwricwlwm.
“Felly, rwy’n gofyn am ddatganiad ar yr hyn mae Llywodraeth Cymru yn ei wneud i annog mwy o bobl i ddilyn gyrfa ym maes cludo a logisteg, a pha drafodaethau mae’r Llywodraeth wedi’u cynnal am gyflwyno lefelau -T yma yng Nghymru?”
Ni roddodd Lesley Griffiths y gweinidog Llafur ateb adeiladol, gan roi’r bai ar Lywodraeth y DU a Brexit.
Wrth siarad y tu allan i’r siambr, dywedodd Natasha Asghar AS:
“Mae’r diwydiant logisteg a chludo – fel llawer o sectorau eraill – yn wynebu heriau enfawr gyda recriwtio a chadw, ymysg problemau eraill.
“Mae’n hanfodol bod gwleidyddion o bob lliw yn dod at ei gilydd a llunio cyfres bwrpasol o atebion i fynd i’r afael â’r diffyg hwn, datrys y problemau mawr a helpu i wneud y diwydiant yn opsiwn gyrfa atyniadol.
“Er bod ateb y Gweinidog yn y Senedd yr wythnos hon yn siomedig tu hwnt, nid yw’n mynd i’m rhwystro a byddaf yn dal ati i godi llais tan i ni weld gwelliannau, oherwydd heb yrwyr a’r staff yn y cefndir, byddai popeth yn mynd ar chwâl.
“Y dynion a’r menywod hyn sy’n gweithio’n galed yw’r rhai a sicrhaodd fod gennym fwyd ar ein platiau Nadolig diwethaf ac a fu’n gyfrifol am gael brechlynnau ac eitemau hanfodol eraill atom ni drwy gydol y pandemig. Maent yn haeddu pob parch posib am eu gwaith diflino.”
