Driving test examiners walk out of Black Country and Staffordshire centres
A smattering of driving tests were taken in the Black Country and Staffordshire yesterday as examiners walked out for the first of five days of industrial action.
Several test centres closed completely whereas others worked on a skeleton staff.
Wolverhampton Test Centre, Spring Road, remained open. With an employee confirming "a few tests were taking place" as none union members went into work as normal
A Government spokesman told the Express & Star 95 per cent of tests were taken nationally but they were not able to provide figures for the Midlands or the Black Country where examiners were striking.
The Government spokesperson said: "We regret this decision (to strike). We greatly value the work of civil servants across the country, but the PCS Union's demands would cost an unaffordable £2.4 billion at a time when our focus must be on bringing down inflation to ease the pressure on households across the country, protect the vulnerable and rebuild our economy.
"Discussions will continue, but we can provide reassurance that we have comprehensive plans in place to keep essential services running and to minimise disruption if these PCS strikes do go ahead."
The PCS union claimed 320 examiners went on strike.
A PCS spokesman said: "95 per cent is wishful thinking, we had 320 examiners walk out, each one would have had seven tests so that's a total of 2,240 tests cancelled.
PCS general secretary Mark Serwotka said: “Our members have been offered a pay rise of just 2 per cent at a time when the cost-of-living crisis is above 10 per cent.
"We know our action will cause widespread disruption and inconvenience to people in Eastern England and the Midlands – hundreds of driving tests have already been cancelled in other parts of the country – but the government is to blame.
"These strikes could be called off tomorrow if Rishi Sunak and Jeremy Hunt put some money on the table."
