www.bifa.org


Robert Keen’s Column


BIFAlink


BIFAlink is the official magazine of the British International Freight Association Redfern House, Browells Lane, Feltham TW13 7EP Tel: 020 8844 2266 Web site: www.bifa.org E-mail: bifa@bifa.org (A company limited by guarantee. Registered in England: 391973. VAT Registration: 216476363)


Director General Robert Keen r.keen@bifa.org Executive Director Robert Windsor r.windsor@bifa.org Executive Director Spencer Stevenson s.stevenson@bifa.org Policy & Compliance Advisor Mike Jones m.jones@bifa.org Policy & Compliance Advisor Pawel Jarza p.jarza@bifa.org Training Development Manager Carl Hobbis c.hobbis@bifa.org Editorial Co-ordinator Sharon Hammond s.hammond@bifa.org


Published by Park Lane Publishing peter@parklanepublishingltd.com Contributors Robert Keen, Robert Windsor, Mike Jones, Spencer Stevenson, Carl Hobbis, Sharon Hammond, Pawel Jarza


Regional Consultants to BIFA Scotland and the Borders Len Hobbs: bifa.scot@gmail.com Northern Ireland Carson McMullan: carsonconluce@aol.com Midlands and the North Paul Young: youngyes@aol.com London West and the South West Mike Jones: m.jones@bifa.org


Anglia, London East and the South East Paul Newman: paul@pnauk.com


Please be advised that BIFA DOES NOT OFFER LEGAL ADVICE. BIFA is not a law firm and the authors of this publication are not legally qualified and do not have any legal training. The guidance and assistance set out herein are based on BIFA’s own experience with the issues concerned and should not be in any circumstances regarded or relied upon as legal advice. It is strongly recommended that anyone considering further action based on the information contained in this publication should seek the advice of a qualified professional.


August 2019


Employers: time to give something back


If you have ‘climbed the greasy pole’ and now run a BIFA Member company, or perhaps you own one, we would like to hear from you as we need employers like you to help us take forward our Young Forwarder Network initiative. You might say “what’s in it for me?” and I would respond that a well-trained and motivated staff member is the answer.


There has been information in past editions of BIFAlink but to recap, we are creating


local forums where apprentices and younger members of staff can join together. Our aim is to give the next generation of freight forwarders (who will no doubt become future business leaders) an industry social network. In my day, networks flourished as the


younger employees mixed together at ports or airports and while waiting in line at Customs. With the replacement of manual processes by computer communications, the opportunities for new entrants to the industry to mix are limited. Some of the events have been designed to include a professional development aspect with a speaker, but they are also designed to be informal and are held towards the end of the working day.


We have set up the structure and supported the initial meetings, but our aim is that the groups will be largely


run by the group members with support and leadership from employers. Alternatively, you can help by encouraging and supporting your staff to attend a local group. This is a key issue as there have been some reactions of “if I let them out of the office they will get poached by a competitor”. These young people can become valuable assets very quickly, but allowing them time out the office to attend an event is to be encouraged. Yes, they will be meeting peers from other logistics providers via the YFN, but this should help build their wider industry knowledge.


By being part of the YFN, participants receive advanced notification of BIFA organised events such as port


visits before they are widely advertised (if at all as spaces get snapped-up so fast). Members not supporting it will miss out on excellent learning experiences that the individuals will bring back to your businesses. Furthermore, all regions plan to have careers events early in 2020; exhibiting at these could give you a ready- made supply of early talent. In addition, if you are considering taking on apprentices, we have given them 20% off some training course prices (check when making your booking) from the beginning of 2019, and will continue to do so.


Turning to politics and linked to the perennial subject of Brexit, it seems everyone has an opinion on the


upheavals in British politics that we have been experiencing for the past few years. As BIFA is an apolitical organisation we refrain from political comment and work with government departments about prospective legislation and the associated consultations where we represent your views.


However, we would have to question whether government is listening to freight forwarders who are the


experts that actually move goods and handle the border implications, given some recent policy announcements. For example, we were not surprised to hear that fewer than 400 firms had signed up for a new government online system designed to protect value-added tax revenues on foreign parcels in the event of a no-deal Brexit. BIFA and its Customs Policy Group advised HM Revenue & Customs that this would not work in practice, but that advice appears to have been ignored. This is not the first time and several recent policy announcements have caused us significant concerns relative to the UK’s Brexit preparations.


With less than three months to go before the UK is expected to leave the EU, momentum appears to have slowed in Whitehall. I urge government departments to listen to trade associations such as BIFA.


Robert Keen Director General


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