Staff at the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA) are set to launch a fortnight-long strike in a move expected to cause delays for those motorists a driving licence.
Members of the Public and Commercial Services union (PCS) are set to stage a walk-out at the agency's headquarters in Swansea from Sunday, 11 June, until June 25 as part of a long-running civil service dispute over pay, pensions and working conditions. The union said the walkout is likely to lead to backlogs for driving licences and tachographs.
The workers, who print materials for the DVLA and other Government departments, will take industrial action at the agency's Ty Felin and Morriston offices in Wales, where motorists applying for a driving licence renewal or replacement are directed to send their application on the gov.uk website. The strike is planned to last 15 days in total.
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The latest strike by PCS members follows a 96.66% vote in favour of industrial action on a turnout of 53.5% for DVLA workers, after previous walkouts in February. The union has been given an improved offer aimed at ending the dispute, including the promise of a £1,500 payment to each member.
PCS general secretary Mark Serwotka said: "None of our members can be left behind, which is why we’re continuing our strike action until every employer has agreed to pay the £1,500 as quickly as possible, without any conditions. Ministers would be foolish to underestimate our determination to get the best for our members."
A DVLA spokesperson said: "We have taken steps to minimise any disruption as a result of this targeted industrial action in our print and mailing section." The agency advised that the quickest and easiest way to get in touch with the DVLA is through its online services, which along with its Contact Centre will be operating as normal throughout the strike period.
The agency added: "There may be delays for some motorists in receiving their documents and we ask that customers allow a few extra days for their documents to arrive through the post. There is no need to phone to chase your applications as we are dealing with all applications as quickly as possible and in the order in which they are received."
DVLA staff are the latest in a long line of workers across different sectors who have staged industrial action up and down the country in recent months, with BBC staff staging a 48-hour strike earlier this week to protect proposed changes to local radio stations. The start of June also saw a fresh round of strikes by rail workers, with members of Aslef and the RMT walking out over a total of three days in long-running disputes over pay and working conditions.
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