Business leaders have confirmed their support of employees on UK work permits and other immigrants from within the EU.
Speaking on the Murnaghan show on Sunday, the chief executive of Domino's Pizza, Lance Batchelor, said that his company has around 1,000 unfilled positions that British workers simply aren't applying for, leaving his company in need of overseas workers to fill places.
He said: “We're struggling to get enough employees. Since the immigration laws were tightened up two or three years ago, we are finding it harder and harder to hire staff, especially in London and the South East.”
Mr Batchelor added: “Every branch in London is currently operating at less than full capacity because of the problem securing labour … if we had more staff, we would spend far more on marketing and other boosts to the economy.”
Sir Stuart Rose, former boss of Marks & Spencer, also spoke on the show to give his support for employees from within the EU and those on UK work permits coming to work in the country: “I’m a free market economist – we operate in a free market. If these people want to come here, and work the hours they are prepared to work for the wages they are prepared to work for, then so be it.”
The comments come amid debate over the impending removal of labour restrictions on Romaian and Bulgarian immigrants. There has been much debate as to whether or not the move will be a positive one or not, but recent observations suggest that it will be. Labour minister Mariana Campeanu told the Times: “Taking into account the fact that Romanian citizens in the UK contribute greatly to the GDP and also that many of these people are young and well-qualified, the UK should be grateful that these people have come to live here.”