Examiners’ strike hits thousands of driving tests

A STRIKE by driving examiners is to go ahead after a last-minute appeal to the Transport Secretary failed.

Members of the Public and Commercial Services union will walk out for 48 hours from tomorrow, the day the new driving test is launched. The union said thousands of tests have been cancelled.

General secretary Mark Serwotka said: “Learner drivers inconvenienced by this have our sympathy but the blame lies squarely with Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency (DVSA) and the government.

“A completely inadequate, last-minute reply from the minister to me fails to address the causes of this dispute.

“He repeats the misinformation of DVSA management that travelling time was settled three years ago. This is completely wrong.”

The union said examiners are being told to work longer, harder, and for no extra pay for the new tests.

Mr Grayling said in a letter to the union that most of the issues in the dispute had been resolved and negotiations could continue if industrial action was called off.