Sunday, 3 December 2017

PCS DVSA strike on the 4 and 5 December

To unions and trades councils in the SERTUC region

Dear Colleague

Are you able to show support for PCS driving test officers on Monday and Tuesday in Morden, Enfield, Oxford or Gillingham?

Either at the picket line, or in the form of a solidarity message? Please see below for details

All best wishes, Megan

Megan Dobney
Regional Secretary
London, East & South East Region of the TUC

SERTUC, Congress House, Great Russell Street, London WC1B 3LS
020 7467 1291    07879 631 785

@mdobney

www.tuc.org.uk/london-east-and-southeast
http://burstonstrikeschool.org.uk
http://levellersday.wordpress.com
http://sertucresources.wordpress.com




From: Sharon Leslie [mailto:sharonl@pcs.org.uk]
Sent: 30 November 2017 15:38
To: Megan Dobney <MDobney@TUC.ORG.UK>
Cc: Darren Lewis <DLewis@tuc.org.uk>; Richard Edwards <richarde@pcs.org.uk>
Subject: PCS DVSA members to Strike over Safety on the 4 and 5 December
Importance: High

Dear Megan 

Please can you arrange for the press release below regarding the PCS DVSA strike on the 4 and 5 December to be circulated to affiliate unions and SERTUC’s MP contacts?
We particularly welcome solidarity support at our picket lines and encourage messages of support to be sent to: Midsbargaining@pcs.org.uk
PCS MEDIA RELEASE
Thursday 30th November   
 Strike action disrupts new driving tests   
Members of the Public and Commercial Services Union (PCS) in the Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency (DVSA) will take 48 hour strike action on Monday 4th December ending at Midnight on the 5th December. This adds to the action short of a strike which began last week (23rd) in a dispute over the new driving test and also working patterns.
This action has already led to hundreds of tests being cancelled in the first week of the action.
In a perverse move DVSA has withdrawn overtime from striking workers and also imposed leave schedules meaning that an even greater backlog of thousands of tests is inevitable due to the imposed reductions in service. 
A ballot in October saw an 84% vote for strike action on a 70% turnout.
The strike action across the DVSA which begins on the 4th December will see up to 14,000 driving tests cancelled on the day the new driving test is launched.  
Other effects of the action include reduced roadside checks on vehicles, reduced enforcement checks on lorries and other vehicles coming into the U.K and a significant reduction of tachograph testing. 
PCS General Secretary Mark Serwotka commented
“PCS members in the DVSA have tried to negotiate around their concerns but the door has been slammed shut in their face. They now feel they have no alternative but to take industrial action to bring home to the public how damaging the DVSA proposals are. No one takes strike action lightly and we acknowledge the disruption to the driving tests for learner drivers keen to pass their test but the Government could avoid this strike even now at the 11th hour by agreeing to serious talks and withdrawing their most damaging proposals. I have today written to the Transport Minister Chris Grayling urging him to intervene.”
ENDS
Notes
For information contact PCS National Press Officer Steve Battlemuch on 07515 605755 or via email steveb@pcs.org.uk
Picket lines in the SERTUC region will be from 7:30 am – see details below:
·         Morden DTC, 10 Tudor Drive, SM4 4PE
·         Enfield MPTC, Solar Way, Enfield EN3 7XY
·         Oxford, James Wolfe Road OX4 2PY
·         Gillingham MPTC, Unit 1 Astra Park, Courteney Road, Gillingham, Kent ME8 0EZ
Mark Serwotka is available for interviews on Monday 4th Dec from 1pm at Millbank studio.
PCS is one of the UK's largest unions and represents civil and public servants in central government and in parts of government transferred to the private sector. Mark Serwotka is the general secretary and the president is Janice Godrich – on Twitter @janicegodrich
Follow PCS on Twitter @pcs_union
Many thanks

Sharon Leslie
PCS London & SE Regional Secretary
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