The British Beer & Pub Association (BBPA) has today welcomed reports that Sajid Javid MP, the Home Secretary, has asked the Migration Advisory Committee to review the £30,000 minimum salary threshold for semi-skilled migrant workers.
The BBPA argues that dropping the threshold would be a boost to Britain’s pubs as they will be able to recruit skilled overseas workers, such as chefs, under the £30,000 minimum salary threshold. Pubs are already facing a skills shortage and a survey of our members across the UK showed the importance of overseas workers to pubs; 17% of their workforce are from overseas, but this rises to 40% in metropolitan areas and in some specialist areas such as kitchen staff, up to 80%.
Brigid Simmonds, Chief Executive of the British Beer & Pub Association, comments:
“As we move into a post-Brexit migration system, it is vital that the system works for Britain’s pubs. I am pleased Sajid Javid has listened to our calls for this £30,000 threshold to be reviewed, when we have such high shortages of pub chefs. The sector stands ready and waiting to play our part in attracting more UK nationals to work in our industry and we hope that a Tourism Sector Industrial Strategy will help us face that challenge.”