2019 will mark the UKWA’s 75th year of service to the warehousing and logistics sectors, writes the Association’s CEO, Peter Ward.
CEO, UKWA
In a little over a year from now the UKWA will be approaching a significant milestone: 2019 will mark your Association’s 75th year of service to the warehousing and logistics sectors.
As those that have been around our industry for a while will no doubt be aware, UKWA was originally known as NAIWK – the National Association of Inland Warehouse Keepers. NAIWK was established in 1944 when representatives from warehousing companies formed a committee to discuss the storage and distribution of food and materials in wartime Britain.
So, since its inception, UKWA has worked with the Government of the day to provide help and support through times of national crisis. In comparison to the issues that our predecessors faced back in 1944, today’s Brexit negotiations may appear somewhat trivial! Looking back it is fascinating to reflect on some of the major events that have affected our sector during UKWA’s lifetime: dock strikes; the deregulation of the transport industry; Britain’s entry into the Common Market; the winter of discontent and the three day week; the repeal of the national dock labour scheme… the list goes on. But, at each time, UKWA has represented its members and the wider logistics sector by engaging with the policy makers and other stakeholders to find solutions and keep the country’s supply chains moving.
I am delighted to say that our commitment to ensuring our members’ views and concerns are heard in the corridors of power is stronger now than it has ever been.
To this end, UKWA has recently updated its manifesto to highlight some of the important challenges that we are tackling in a sector that is rapidly changing and adapting to the new digital world, in which, thanks to the technology-enabled consumer, logistics is fast becoming the new retail.
Many commentators believe that the profound transformation of business models, processes and competencies that are currently taking place as companies across all industry sectors seek to fully leverage the opportunities that digital technologies bring, are as momentous as the industrial revolution.
But this is all happening at a time when increasing rents and business rates, alongside a weak supply of new warehousing stock and a growing shortage of labour are putting immense stress on the logistics sector.
UKWA is presenting its manifesto to the policy makers to help the government understand how the UK’s supply chains work and how the added complexities of any post-Brexit legislation may impact the sector.
Like any successful organisation, UKWA has evolved in step with the industry in which it operates and the National Association of Inland Warehouse Keepers became the National Association of Warehouse Keepers (NAWK) in 1952 and NAWK became the United Kingdom Warehousing Association in 1994 – the year that UKWA celebrated its Golden Jubilee.
Regardless of its name, UKWA continues to respond to the needs of its members who call for a wider brief and a range of membership services to help them improve operational efficiency and bring real bottom-line returns.
UKWA PROMOTING WORKPLACE DIVERSITY
UKWA has announced that it will be working in partnership with not-for-profit social enterprise, Evenbreak, to promote the value of diversity in the logistics sector and, in particular, highlight the positive contribution that disabled employees can make to a business.
Evenbreak is a social enterprise formed to help inclusive employers attract more talented disabled people, help disabled jobseekers find work with employers who will value their skills and promote the business benefits of employing disabled people.
It aims to achieve these goals through a specialist job board – www.evenbreak.co.uk – that matches disabled job seekers with employers looking to build a diverse workforce.
“By advertising their vacancies on the Evenbreak job board, inclusive employers will attract disabled candidates that they may not find through any other recruitment channels, while disabled jobseekers can be confident that employers who have chosen to place their vacancies on this site are serious about looking beyond their disabilities to identify what skills they have to offer,” comments Evenbreak director, Jane Hatton.
She adds: “By promoting a positive image of disabled people in employment and the benefits of employing disabled people we also hope to balance out some of the current negative and inaccurate, portrayals of disabled people in the media.”
Peter Ward, CEO of UKWA, comments: “Employing people with disabilities benefits employers. For example, employees with disabilities are fully aware of how difficult looking for a job can be, and often try to compensate their deficits through greater efforts.
“The many hurdles which people with disabilities might encounter on a daily basis motivate them to accomplish even more. Therefore, they often show a greater loyalty to their employer as well as more motivation and UKWA will promote Evenbreak to its membership through various channels.”
UKWA
0207 636 8856
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