28/08/2015

Staff Stage Strike Action At DVLA Centre

Hundreds of staff have gone on strike at a DVLA contact centre in Swansea.

A total of 650 Public and Commercial Services (PCS) members are staging a three day strike from today, 28 August, in a dispute about weekend working allowances.

PCS stated the action arose after DVLA's decision to not pay a weekend working allowance to staff recruited since the start of 2015, while others will receive a 50% cut from 1 September.

Overall, 93% of union members voted in favour of strike action.

PCS industrial officer Keith Johnston said: "This dispute is vitally important to everyone in DVLA: if the employer is able to cut the pay of our members in the contact centre then it will inevitably seek to reduce the terms and conditions for the rest of DVLA staff."

He added: "There seems to be the idea that south Wales is a low wage economy and DVLA can get away with exploiting its staff there."

The strike action will take place over three days, Friday, 28 August, Saturday, 29 August and Tuesday, 1 September.

(LM)

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