Vehicle tester and traffic examiner strike: December 2022 and January 2023
Some vehicle testing and enforcement services might be affected by strike action at times during December 2022 and January 2023.
Some Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency (DVSA) staff who are members of the Public and Commercial Services (PCS) union are planning to take strike action during December 2022 and January 2023. This includes:
- vehicle standards assessors
- specialist vehicle standards assessors
- traffic examiners
- vehicle examiners
There is different guidance about driving examiner strikes in December 2022 and January 2023.
The strike action is part of national industrial action by the PCS union 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 |
|---|---|
| Tuesday 13 December to Sunday 18 December | North-east England and Scotland |
| 6pm on Sunday 18 December to 8am on Wednesday 21 December | Vehicle examiners and traffic examiners in all areas of Great Britain |
| Monday 19 December to Saturday 24 December | North-west England and Yorkshire and the Humber |
| Wednesday 28 December to Saturday 31 December, and Tuesday 3 January | East of England, East Midlands, West Midlands and parts of London |
| Wednesday 4 January to Tuesday 10 January | London, south-east England, south-west England and Wales |
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 PCS 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.
DVSA does not expect the strike action to affect MOTs for heavy goods vehicles (HGVs), buses and trailers, but will not know for certain until the strike action takes place.
Not all DVSA staff are PCS 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.
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 PCS 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.