Driving test dispute resolved after strike threat leads to deal
Members in DVSA have voted to end their dispute after the employer agreed to a raft of demands.
In December 2023, 90.5% of DVSA (Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency) members voted in favour of striking over a scheme designed by DVSA management to reduce waiting times for driving tests and clear backlogs. PCS believed the plan would have posed significant safety risks to test candidates and examiners, and would have eroded members’ terms and conditions.
In negotiations to avert the strike an improved proposal was tabled which addressed our eight demands. Talks continued and, in March, members supported the deal in a consultative ballot. 72% of those who voted said they agreed that the DVSA’s proposals met the union’s demands satisfactorily
The demands to which DVSA management have agreed include: confirmation that there are no plans to introduce an eight-test day; an optional reduction in weekend working to one day for those on ‘5-in-7’ contracts; and an “acceptable overtime incentive” for all staff in DVSA involved in the car driving test service recovery. Agreements are also in place over the way the backlog recovery period will be managed, including line-management arrangements, ensuring equal pay for work of equal value, and a binding memorandum of understanding on job and role security.
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