The DVSA has warned there will be disruption to driving tests after driving examiners announced they will go on strike.
Members of the Public and Commercial Services union (PCS) at the Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency (DVSA) December 13 to January 16.
Members at the Rural Payments Agency (RPA) will also take part in a series of strikes at the same time.
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Both the DVSA and RPA are two of 124 government departments and public bodies that voted in favour of striking due to a dispute over pay, pensions, job security, and cuts to redundancy terms.
The union will be announcing strike dates on behalf of other departments, including the Home Office and Department for Work and Pensions over the coming weeks.
PCS general secretary Mark Serwotka said: “This is the first wave of the hardest-hitting industrial action the Government will have faced in decades and will cause a massive amount of disruption. The government, which has spent years turning a blind eye to our pay demands, will no longer be able to ignore us.
“Our members are proud of their work, so it’s not easy for them to take action they know will affect the very people they came into the job to serve. But the Government has given them no option.
"Their pay has fallen far below inflation and many of our members – the Government’s own workforce – are forced to use foodbanks because they can’t afford to eat. The Government is in the position to stop these strikes by putting money on the table.
"Ministers must know we will not stop until our demands are met and our members receive the decent pay rise they need to get them through the cost-of-living crisis and beyond.”
The DVSA warned that the industrial action by driving examiners will affect serivces.
They tweeted: "Civil service strike action dates announced. A programme of industrial action by members of the PCS Union will take place over a 6 week period from Tuesday 13 December.
"This will impact some DVSA services, including driving tests and customer contact centre availability. You do not need to contact us now; we will update customers with further details as soon as we can.
"Please keep checking emails, texts and our dedicated http://GOV.UK page on how services will be affected."
According to the governmenet website the strike might affect car driving tests, motorcycle tests, lorry, bus, coach and minibus driving tests (these are known as vocational tests), tractor or specialist vehicle driving test and approved driving instructor (ADI) part 2 (driving ability) or part 3 (instructional ability) tests.
Theory tests are not affected by the strike action.
A government spokesperson said: “We regret this decision. We greatly value the work of civil servants across the country, but the PCS Union's demands would cost an unaffordable £2.4 billion at a time when our focus must be on bringing down inflation to ease the pressure on households across the country, protect the vulnerable and rebuild our economy.
“Discussions will continue, but we can provide reassurance that we have comprehensive plans in place to keep essential services running and to minimise disruption if these PCS strikes do go ahead.”
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