Some Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency (DVSA) staff who are members of the Public and Commercial Services (PCS) union are planning to take strike action during March 2023. This includes:
- vehicle standards assessors
- specialist vehicle standards assessors
- traffic examiners
- vehicle examiners
The strike action is part of national industrial action by the PCS union over pay, pensions, jobs and redundancy terms.
There is different guidance about driving examiner strikes in March 2023.
When the strike will be held
The strikes will affect different parts of Great Britain at different times.
| Dates | Areas affected |
|---|---|
| Monday 6 March and Tuesday 7 March | London and south-east England |
| Thursday 9 March and Friday 10 March | South-west England and Wales |
| Wednesday 15 March | All areas of Great Britain |
| Monday 20 March and Tuesday 21 March | East of England, East Midlands, West Midlands and parts of London |
| Thursday 23 March and Friday 24 March | North-west England and Yorkshire and the Humber |
| Monday 27 March and Tuesday 28 March | North-east England and Scotland |
MOTs for cars, vans and motorcycles
MOTs for cars, vans and motorcycles MOTs for cars, vans and motorcycles are not affected by the strike action. They will be taking place as planned.
Services for MOT testers
If you're an MOT tester with an MOT demonstration test booked on the dates of the strike action, you should still go for your appointment, unless DVSA contacts you to tell you not to go.
Not all vehicle examiners are PCS union members, and even if they are, they might choose not to go on strike.
DVSA will automatically rearrange your demonstration test if it cannot go ahead because of the strike action.
MOTs for HGVs, buses and trailers
You should go to your vehicle test appointment as planned if it's on the date of strike action.
DVSA does not expect the strike action to affect MOTs for heavy goods vehicles (HGVs), buses and trailers, but will not know for certain until the strike action takes place.
Not all DVSA staff are PCS union members, and even if they are, they might choose not to go on strike.
If your MOT cannot go ahead
You will need to book another appointment with an MOT centre if your test cannot go ahead because of the strike action.
Find an MOT centre for HGVs, buses and trailers.
Tell DVSA if you cannot book a new test if both of these apply to you:
- you have contacted your local test centres and have been unable to book a test
- your MOT expires this month or has already expired
Report that you cannot book an HGV, bus or trailer MOT.
If you manage an ATF
Contact your network business manager if a vehicle standards assessor has not attended your site within 15 minutes of the scheduled start time.
Vehicle approval tests
You should go to your vehicle approval test appointment as planned if it's on the date of strike action, unless DVSA contacts you to tell you not to go.
Not all specialist vehicle standards assessors are PCS union members, and even if they are, they might choose not to go on strike.
If your vehicle approval test cannot go ahead DVSA will automatically rebook your vehicle approval test for you if it cannot go ahead because of the strike action.
You'll be sent the new details. You do not need to contact DVSA.
