DVSA must abolish new contracts and prevent automated block-bookings

Giving evidence yesterday to the transport select committee at Westminster, PCS raised a wide range of issues that affect our DVSA members, who carry out driving tests and approve people to be driving instructors.

 

Instead of working collaboratively with PCS to find workable solutions to the longstanding driving-test backlog, the employer continues to degrade terms and conditions of driving examiners in a bid to achieve internal targets, despite all evidence showing this is not an effective resolution. 

 

As emphasised to the transport select committee, the employer has also failed to take decisive action against the number of tests that third party sites can block-book using a singular driving licence number.

 

Because of these two key issues and more, the union is concerned about the ability of DVSA to reach the targets is has set in its driver services recovery project.

 

Offering degraded terms and conditions to members, the new cluster contract is failing to attract driving examiners of the correct calibre, and DVSA is unable to reach the recruitment targets it has set - targets on which the success of the project is dependent.

 

PCS also told the committee about the reports of driving examiners being pressurised by more senior DVSA employees to inflate pass rates and take out unroadworthy vehicles. Because of the culture in the organisation, we are regrettably seeing rising attrition rates for driving examiners.

 

Other issues include the failure of the plan to grow the 'training team' to successfully manage the number of new driving examiner recruits, as well as a co-ordinated effort from DVSA to frustrate the consultation and negotiation process with trade unions to hide the issues in the driver services recovery project. 

 

A wide range of concerns has led the union to the conclusion that the DVSA is presently unable to function appropriately as a regulatory body.

 

Earlier this year, more than 1900 DVSA members voted for industrial action by a margin of 90.5% in response to an attempt by management to erode their terms and conditions to recover backlogs to a national average of 7 weeks by 31 March 2024.

 

Following negotiations, we reached an improved proposal that satisfied the eight demands PCS members were balloted on. This was the second industrial dispute in the last four years over the driver services recovery project. 

 

Although both disputes were resolved without PCS members having to take industrial action, they show how reticent DVSA is to work collaboratively with PCS to find solutions to resolve the driving-test backlog that do not negatively impact our members' terms and conditions.

 

John Hegney, PCS DfT group president said: "PCS is taking seriously the highlighted issues around the backlog recovery in DVSA.  PCS is committed to working with DVSA to seek solutions to reducing the backlog while ensuring our members' welfare and working conditions are safe and protected."