News story

Vehicle tester and traffic examiner strike: June 2023

Some vehicle testing and enforcement services might be affected by strike action at times during June 2023.

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This news story has been withdrawn because the guidance it contains is out of date.

The PCS union has suspended the strike action it was planning to take in June 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 June 2023. This includes:

  • vehicle standards assessors

  • specialist vehicle standards assessors

  • traffic examiners

  • vehicle examiners

There is different guidance about driving examiner strikes in June 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
Thursday 15 June, Friday 16 June and Monday 19 June London, south-east England, south-west England and Wales
Thursday 22 June and Friday 23 June Scotland, north-east England, north-west England, Yorkshire and the Humber, the East Midlands, West Midlands, East of England, and parts of London

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.

Published 8 June 2023