DVSA staff striking during February

The Driver and Vehicles Standards Agency (DVSA) has confirmed that the Public and Commercial Services Union (PCS) has served DVSA notice of strike action on 8 and 9 February as well as 10 and 11 February 2024. This means that up to 2000 staff from 270 centres across the country will strike.

On 8-9 February all PCS members in DVSA including driving examiners and customer service centre agents are striking. However, on 10 and 11 February the action only covers PCS members in DVSA contracted to work weekends.

An official message from DVSA couldn’t rule out the industrial action impacting MOT tests: “We do not expect this action by PCS to affect our heavy vehicle annual test (MOT) service, but we will not know for certain until strike action takes place.” Nevertheless, the DVSA advice is “attend your annual test booking(s) as planned”.

DVSA reports that it has been “working with PCS to address concerns raised about the working arrangements for driving examiners and the driving test service provided by DVSA.” Furthermore, DVSA reports its has made an offer to PCS to end the dispute, which has been rejected.

For its part PCS said the action centres on Transport Secretary “Mark Harper’s flawed plan to clear the driving test backlog.”

PCS reports that driving examiners say the transport secretary’s plans pose “significant” safety risks for them and their customers and will erode their terms and conditions by expecting them to deliver a further 150,000 tests by the end of March.

PCS general secretary Mark Serwotka commented: “Our members are already working their hardest to clear the backlog of tests, but they need extra resources, extra examiners, not instructions from Mark Harper….

”….If Mark Harper was serious about reducing the backlog, he would invest in DVSA, employing more examiners, not just expecting the existing ones to work harder.”

For its part DVSA commented: “It is disappointing that strike action will now go ahead. This will mean the hard work and commitment from colleagues in DVSA to reduce driving test waiting times will be undone have a negative impact on the services we offer our customers.”