A lorry firm boss has resorted to drastic measures after Brexit led to a shortage of drivers in his area.
Adam Giles, company director of truck driver agency BWN Driver Management Group, had two scantily clad women posing next to a roundabout in Felixstowe, Suffolk on Friday, as part of a recruitment drive.
The women are seen holding placards with the ad ‘drivers wanted’ and the contact details and company logo emblazoned on them.
This happened in #Felixstowe yesterday
— š³ļøāš šImogen #BlackLivesMatter (@IDangerfield) May 8, 2021
BWN Driver Management thought it appropriate to use scantily clad women to advertise HGV driver jobs. Here are their contact details should you wish to complain #misogyny #Sexism #EverydaySexism pic.twitter.com/bmB7BUDwYe
The stunt has attracted widespread criticism with people calling it “sexist for objectifying women”, but Giles says he had no other choice.
He said: “I’m a small company. we haven’t got much money to throw at advertisement. I’ve taken a bit of a tongue in cheek stunt. It’s a bit of fun.
“I didn’t expect many people to talk about it. I’m not trying to change the truck driving industry or be sexist about this. What I’ve done, people can form their own opinion.
“The marketing campaign has been so good I’m fully booked for test drives today, I was fully booked over the weekend. It’s achieved the desired effect.
“There’s a very serious situation in the UK. The way the rules have changed about foreign nationals coming into the UK, guys are leaving in floods. It’s so difficult to employ lorry drivers.”
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