Staff working in part of the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency are set to stage six days of strike action later this month as part of the PCS union’s demand for a 10% pay rise.
The walkout – which will run from 20 to 25 February – will affect PCS members working on drivers’ medical issues at DVLA’s Swansea headquarters and its Birmingham base.
The weeklong strike follows five days of action by PCS members at DVLA’s output services group at Ty Felin and Morriston in Swansea.
Drivers’ medical staff at Birmingham and Swansea also staged a five-day walkout last month, which PCS – the civil service’s biggest union – described as “very well supported”.
The DVLA strikes are part of PCS’ concerted national campaign for a cost-of-living pay rise. The union is also seeking reduced pensions contributions in line with a 2015 agreement, job-security for civil servants and protected redundancy terms.
A DVLA spokesperson said targeting the agency’s drivers’ medical department would “negatively impact some of the most vulnerable people in society”.
They added that it was also “very disappointing” that PCS was “incentivising” members at DVLA to take strike action by offering strike pay.
“The quickest and easiest way to deal with DVLA is through our online services which are operating as normal during this period of industrial action,” the spokesperson said.
Thousands of staff at the Environment Agency are due to strike over pay tomorrow in a joint action between members of the Prospect and Unison unions.
Professionals’ union Prospect is currently balloting its members in other parts of the civil service on strike action over the government’s 2%-3% pay offer for 2022-23.
The ballot runs until 24 February.