Driving examiner strike June 2023 cancelled: driving tests to go ahead after last-minute call-off

Driving examiners have called off five days of strikes in June after receiving a new pay offer from the Department for Transport (DfT). 

Examiners around Britain were to hold rolling walkouts between Thursday 15 June and Friday 23 June as part of industrial action by the Public and Commercial Services Union. The union has now suspended its action at the Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency (DVSA) while it negotiates with the DfT over a new cost of living payment. 

However, it has warned the suspension does not mean an end to action and strikes could escalate if the DfT doesn’t meet the union’s conditions on how and when the lump sum payment is made. 

Examiners have already held several days of strikes in December, January, March and April, causing thousands of driving tests to be cancelled and rescheduled. It is thought that action has cost the DVSA more than £5 million in lost revenue. June’s strikes were due to affect learners with tests booked at more than 200 test centres around the country. 

The DVSA said that, following the suspension, tests will go ahead as normal on the proposed strike days. 

The DfT has offered driving examiners a £1,500 lump sum cost of living payment. The PCS said it would now begin negotiations with the DfT over the timing of the payment and how such payments will be made to part-time workers.

In a statement, the union said: “We cannot proceed with further discussions on its implementation while live strike action is ongoing meaning payment would be delayed. Our national objective during this period is to secure confirmation of the payment from all bargaining areas in the dispute.

“PCS has made clear to DfT senior representatives that a pro-rata payment [for part-time staff] is completely unacceptable; the cost-of-living impacts everyone regardless of working hours. We have told the DfT action may escalate across the department if it proceeds with its proposal to pay on a pro-rata basis.

“The decision to suspend the action does not mean an end to the national dispute, neither does it preclude DVSA members from taking further national and targeted strike action.”

Following the announcement, the DVSA, which oversees driving tests in England, Scotland and Wales, said that learners should attend their test appointment on 15, 16, 19, 22 and 23 June unless they have been directly contacted about a cancellation or had already rescheduled their test.