Vehicle tester and traffic examiner strike: April to June 2023
Some vehicle testing and enforcement services might be affected by strike action at times during April 2023, May 2023 and June 2023.
Some Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency (DVSA) staff who are members of the Public and Commercial Services (PCS) and Prospect unions are planning to take strike action during April 2023, May 2023 and June 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 and Prospect unions over pay, pensions, jobs and redundancy terms.
When the strike will be held
The strikes will affect different parts of Great Britain at different times.
| Dates | Areas affected | Unions taking strike action |
|---|---|---|
| Monday 17 April and Tuesday 18 April | North-east England and Scotland | PCS |
| Thursday 20 April and Friday 21 April | North-west England and Yorkshire and the Humber | PCS |
| Monday 24 April and Tuesday 25 April | East of England, East Midlands, West Midlands and parts of London | PCS |
| Thursday 27 April | London, south-east England, south-west England and Wales | PCS |
| Friday 28 April | All areas of Great Britain | PCS |
| Wednesday 10 May | All areas of Great Britain | Prospect |
The strike action on Wednesday 10 May is likely to affect DVSA’s vehicle services including:
- MOTs for heavy goods vehicles (HGVs), buses and trailers
- MOT demonstration tests (specialist tests for people qualifying as an MOT tester)
- vehicle approval tests
DVSA does not expect the strike action on other days to affect MOTs for HGVs, buses and trailers, but will not know for certain until the strike action takes place.
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 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.
Not all DVSA staff are 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.
To help customers with a test booked, DVSA encourages you to contact them directly once you know if their test will be affected.
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 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.
Updates to this page
Published 24 March 2023Last updated 2 June 2023 + show all updates
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Removed Wednesday 7 June 2023 from the table of dates when strike action is taking place, as the Prospect union has suspended its planned action on this day.
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Updated the list of dates when strikes will be held, as: - PCS union has announced that it will be asking its members in all parts of Great Britain to take strike action on Friday 28 April 2023 - Prospect union has announced that it will be asking its members in all parts of Great Britain to strike action on 10 May and 7 June 2023
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First published.