IRU’s social affairs group took great strides in tackling driver shortages at meetings in Brussels this week. A dedicated workshop focused on how to attract drivers to the profession and the need for improved working conditions.
Responding to a significant shortage of drivers in the road transport sector, IRU has created a working group to advance this increasingly challenging issue for the industry and society.
The group recommends better recruitment and retention of talent in the short, medium and long terms. These recommendations will be submitted to IRU members for approval in the coming weeks.
IRU’s Commission on Social Affairs (CAS) will continue its work in addressing working and social conditions in the road transport industry. CAS will focus its advocacy efforts on the social legislation proposals included in the three Mobility Packages which have been tabled by the European Commission.
Also high on the CAS working plan is the strengthening of cooperation with enforcement authorities to reach a harmonised application of rules and to improve treatment of drivers during road-side checks. Demonstrating its commitment to the building and upgrading of sufficient safe and secure truck parking areas (SSTPA), IRU has actively participated in an EU study on SSTPA, the results of which will be published later this year.
As the industry’s driver shortage issue is a worldwide problem, discussions on how to effectively deal with this challenge will continue at the IRU World Congress in Oman on 6-8 November 2018.