Covid: Swansea DVLA balloting for more strike action

More than 500 Covid cases were recorded at DVLA sites in Swansea between September 2020 and April 2021

Workers from the driver licensing body are being asked if they support more industrial action over Covid safety.

Union members at the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA) offices in Swansea have been taking industrial action in recent months.

DVLA sites in the city recorded hundreds of Covid cases among its 6,000-strong workforce.

The agency said it had put measures in place to keep staff safe and has been following official guidance.

PCS union general secretary Mark Serwotka said a deal had almost been agreed to end the dispute but was withdrawn at the last minute.

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"DVLA senior management and the Department for Transport have underestimated the resolve of our members," he said.

"They thought support for our strike would fade when in fact it is growing with new staff joining PCS.

"This dispute can be resolved if the original deal to end the strike is put back on the table."

A consultative ballot of PCS members opened on Wednesday and will close on 3 September.

Members will be asked about their priorities for a deal and whether they would support further strikes and action short of a strike.

Another ballot would have to be held before further strikes could go ahead.

The union is prepared for months of action, its general secretary said previously

A DVLA spokesman said: "It's 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, affecting some of the more vulnerable people in society, including the printing and mailing of documents such as vaccine letters for the NHS.

"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.

"Since the outbreak of the pandemic we have reorganised our eight buildings in line with official advice, and utilised space in a newly-leased building to further assist with social distancing measures.

"We have also installed thermal imaging cameras to carry out temperature checks on people entering the buildings."

The spokesman added Public Health Wales and other agencies had conducted site visits and confirmed a high level of compliance with measures.