The Association of Independent Meat Suppliers are pleading with the government to be able to call upon prisoners to solve a labour crisis blamed on the effects of Brexit and Covid. The group, which represents butchers, abattoirs, and processors, said it had a call set up with the Ministry of Justice that would explore how its members could recruit more current inmates and ex-offenders.
Several companies are trying to draft in prisoners via a scheme that allows inmates to undertake paid work on day release. They are also contacting charities for ex-servicemen and women to try to rake in staff. Tony Goodger of the meat suppliers’ association said some of its members already had inmates on the release on temporary licence programme working for them and found them to be an asset.
Goodger said, “Much of the food industry is facing a recruitment crisis. The advice we have received from the Home office is that the UK’s domestic labour force should take priority. However, hard we and many of the members have tried, staffing remains a challenge.” He said he had contacted HMP Hollesley Bay in Suffolk, but the rehabilitation officer said there was such a big demand for inmates “we’ve reached our quota and we are not allowed to let any more out to go to work.”
The British Meat Processors Association (BMPA), whose membership includes the UK’s meat processing companies, said businesses were doing everything to find workers, including contacting the Prison Service. Multiple industries across the UK are facing severe shortage of workers. In a letter to business secretary Kwasi Kwarteng, the British Retail Consortium (BRC) and freight trade group Logistics UK have warned that consumers will suffer unless the government intervenes.
A Ministry of Justice spokesman said, “Helping prisoners find jobs during their sentence and after release makes it much less likely they will re-offend. We will support all industries with skills shortages where possible, and are working towards bringing levels [of release on temporary licence] back up towards pre-pandemic levels as restrictions allow.”