DVLA staff begin fresh strike action after union deal falls through
Hundreds of workers at the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency in Swansea have launched fresh industrial action after a deal to end a long-running dispute fell through at the last minute.
It is the third time that members of the Public and Commercial Service (PCS) union have walked out over demands for more Covid-safety protection.
PCS general secretary Mark Serwotka said a deal was all but agreed to end the dispute, claiming it was suddenly withdrawn at the eleventh hour following pressure from UK Government officials.
ITV Wales understands that the proposed deal would see staff offered a £200 'recognition payment' pro-rata, two days' extra annual leave pro-rata and a phased return to the office.
Mr Serwotka said: "Through painstaking negotiation, our union and DVLA senior management were on the verge of agreeing a deal only for it to be scuppered at the last minute.
"We strongly suspect senior ministers at the Department for Transport have interfered with the progress we were making and want to make some kind of ideological stand against PCS.
"They have grossly underestimated the resolve of our members in DVLA and have only emboldened them to take targeted and sustained action in the months ahead until they win.
"PCS is fully prepared for months of strike action, and we urge the Government to rethink its position."
The DVL called the decision "disappointing". The Department for Transport has been asked to comment.
The organisation is one the largest employers in Swansea and it is believed to have had one of the most serious workplace outbreaks of coronavirus in the UK.
A recent investigation by ITV Cymru Wales found DVLA workers were sat less than two metres apart up until as late as February 2021, with the lack of safe distancing described as a "national scandal".
The DVLA insists it has done everything possible to keep workers safe and has followed official guidelines.
A DVLA spokesperson said: “There are currently zero Covid cases at the DVLA. It’s therefore disappointing to see the Public and Commercial Services Union choosing to continue with industrial action and targeting services that will have the greatest negative impact on the public, including some of the more vulnerable people in society, just as restrictions are starting to ease.
“We have been negotiating in good faith and will continue to do so with the aim of finding a workable solution.
“The safety of our staff is paramount and since the beginning of the year we have implemented weekly Covid testing for everyone, hired more than 30 new cleaners to maintain hygiene standards and installed thermal imaging cameras to carry out temperature checks on people entering the building. We have also removed 300 desks from our headquarters and utilised space in a newly-leased building to further assist with social distancing measures.
“As these measures have been implemented, we have worked closely with Public Health Wales, along with Swansea Environmental Health and the Health and Safety Executive, who have conducted regular site visits and inspections and have repeatedly confirmed a high level of compliance with control measures.
“Millions of people right across the UK are relying on essential DVLA services and PCS’s demands will cause significant and unnecessary disruption to families and businesses, all at a time when they are most needed."
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