Romanian truck drivers spent Wednesday protesting pay cuts in front of government headquarters in Bucharest, saying conditions could force people to seek work abroad. The action came as Britain offered three-month visas for European drivers in an effort to avoid major supply chain delays due to a shortage of hauliers.  

Around 100 trucks spent the day parked in Victory Square, representing three transport unions that came together to protest pay cuts, the cost of insurance and COVID-19 quarantine rules.

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Earlier in the year, Romania began treating lorry drivers' daily allowances as taxable income as well as taxing transport firms retroactively over five years on the allowances.

One union official told the media an average driver could end up paying more than $100,000 in back taxes. Protesters say it is financially devastating and it could close some transport businesses, forcing drivers to look for work outside Romania's borders.

Other European countries such as Poland, Hungary and Lithuania are seen to be adopting measures to protect their carriers – Romanian drivers want to see similar changes at home. In the hours before the protests began, the ruling Liberal Party unveiled a draft bill to remove the back tax payment, but the measure may not make it into law.

The protests came as the UK government offered three-month visas in an attempt to encourage people to help cut its shortage of drivers in the lead up to Christmas. 

The UK needs tens of thousands more drivers, with Brexit and the coronavirus pandemic causing a knock-on effect that is impacting supply chains. 

Other countries including the U.S. and Germany are also facing driver shortages and many European drivers have said they wouldn't head to the UK with only the security of a three-month visa. Drivers from Central and Eastern Europe have also spoken up, alleging they chose to leave the UK due to poor pay and conditions, some of which were heightened by the pandemic and Brexit.

While some Romanian drivers said a three-month stay was not enough of an incentive, others said they would consider working in Britain. 

Some admitted the pay was tempting and see Britain as an option if conditions in Romania don't improve. 

Nicolae, a 32-year-old haulier, told the media: "The Brits' offer is attractive," explaining the tax he'll pay on three trucks was a squeeze for a small business. "Britain is an option ... earnings there are way higher," he said.