The Public and Commercial Services Union today announced a one day strike on 29 February involving over 8,500 members working for the Department for Transport (DfT) and five of its agencies.
The one day strike will hit driving tests, regional centres controlling the flow of motorway traffic as well as the half yearly introduction of new number plates, and is in response to a series of below inflation pay offers and widening pay gaps between the predominantly female staffed DVLA and the predominantly male DfT and related agencies.
With salaries starting on as little as £12,528, low pay across the department has been compounded by a series of below inflation pay offers. Pay gaps of £2,524 exist between DVLA and the DfT, raising concerns over gender segregation and prompting the union to call on the DfT to conduct a departmental wide equal pay review, under the 2006 Equalities Act. In addition to the DfT, the one day stoppage will involve the:
* Driving Standards Agency (DSA), who deliver driving tests.
* Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA).
* Highways Agency, who control motorway and traffic flows.
* Vehicle Certification Agency.
* Vehicle and Operator Services Agency (VOSA).
The one day strike will be followed by a campaign of action short of a strike as the union calls on the department to introduce a new common pay system across the DfT and its agencies, as well as pay awards in line with the retail price index measure for inflation.
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