DVLA strikes could mean delays to driving licences
Driving licence processing could be delayed by the strikes
If you’re planning on renewing your driving licence soon, make sure you know the dates of the DVLA strikes, or you could face delays.
When are the DVLA strikes?
Members of the Public and Commercial Services Union (PCS) working for the DVLA will strike from 11 to 25 June. Due to shift work, the strike will start at 10pm on Sunday, 11 June and will finish at the end of the final shift that begins on Sunday, 25 June.
What will the DVLA strike affect?
A union spokesperson said: ‘The workers print materials for the DVLA and other government departments, meaning no vehicle tax reminders will be printed, and there will be backlogs for driving licences and tachographs.’
This means that, if you plan on applying for, or renewing, your driving licence within the next month, you should expect a delay. It would be best to apply either well in advance or wait until the strike is over, so you don’t have to wait longer than necessary for your driving licence.
Similarly, if you are required to pay tax on your vehicle in the next few months, you won’t receive your regular reminder and it will be up to you to remember to pay it.
If you get into trouble for not having paid your tax, you won’t be able to use the lack of reminder as an excuse – as a vehicle owner it’s your responsibility to make sure your car is road legal.
Why are DVLA workers striking?
General Secretary of the PCS, Mark Serwotka said: ‘We’re not afraid to turn up the pressure to achieve our reasonable demands – a fair pay rise to help our members through the cost of living crisis and beyond.
The PCS says 96.66% of workers who voted were in favour of striking, and vowed to ‘keep the pressure on until the government improves its offer to members.’
More than 100,000 PCS workers went on strike in March 2023 when Chancellor Jeremy Hunt announced his budget. The PCS says they could call for further strikes, which could also include people working for the Passport Office and Border Force, as well as the DVLA.
Despite the DVLA believing that the strikes will not impact the processing of driving licences, a spokesperson for the agency said: ‘The quickest and easiest way to deal with the DVLA is through our online services, which are operating as normal during this period of industrial action.’
If you want to know more about what’s affecting motorists this year, check out our blog on new driving laws.
