Heavy vehicle testing services are “likely” to be affected by strike action taken on 15 March by DVSA Vehicle Standards Assessors that are members of the Prospect union, the Agency has warned.
Nevertheless, DVSA is advising operators to attend heavy vehicle testing bookings on the strike day, noting that Authorised Testing Facilities (ATFs) have been asked to proactively contact customers “on the day” if they become aware that an appointment will be affected on or after 15 March.
Should a test not go ahead because of the action, responsibility to rebook it falls upon the operator. Direct contact with DVSA should only be made if the vehicle’s MoT expires in March, or has already expired, and no test slots are available at local ATFs.
DVSA says that it cannot predict how many Vehicle Standards Assessors will report for work on 15 March because it has no way of knowing in advance which of them will take strike action.
Guidance published on the gov.uk website echoes that, noting that ATF owners will be unaware whether they will be able to carry out testing until the day in question. Proprietors are advised to contact their DVSA Network Business Manager only if an Assessor “has not attended… within 15 minutes of the scheduled start time.”
DVSA staff represented by Prospect are part of a wide range of public servants that will walk out on 15 March. The union says that action short of a strike – including working to contracted hours and overtime bans – will commence from the following day.
Prospect adds that 80% of members voted in favour of strike action and 92% are in favour of action short of a strike. The dispute centres on pay. General Secretary Mike Clancy claims that Prospect members have “seen their incomes decline by up to 26% over the past 13 years,” and that poor pay and declining morale “represent an existential threat to the civil service’s ability to function.”
The union has pledged to continue its campaign of industrial action “until the government comes up with a meaningful offer.”
