The lorry driver shortage in the UK is a consequence of Brexit and low wages, according to the man set to replace Angela Merkel as German chancellor.
Olaf Scholz, leader of the SDP, said the free movement of labour was an EU benefit that the UK had chosen to leave behind.
“We worked very hard to convince the British not to leave the union. Now they decided different and I hope they will manage the problems coming from that,” he said.
Many petrol stations around the UK remain dry and unions have called on the government to use emergency powers to give key workers priority for fuel.
The British Medical Association warned that as pumps run dry “there is a real risk that NHS staff won’t be able to do their jobs”. The Royal College of Nursing and the Unison and GMB unions also called for priority.
Meanwhile, Edwin Atema, leader of the Federation of Dutch Trade Unions has said that EU drivers will not be returning to help the UK “get out of the s***”.
He said the 10,000 short-term visas that the British government was considering would not be enough to tempt drivers.
