Up to 5,000 driving tests could be cancelled

The 1,500 members of the Public and Commercial Services Union (PCS) have been balloted on industrial action.

The union, which also represents civil servants who are in dispute over pay, said 70% of examiners had voted in favour of a walk-out on 17 February.

The PCS said 5,000 driving tests will be disrupted by the stoppage, the first in more than a decade.

Workers in the Driving Standards Agency (DSA) earned �4,000 less than staff doing equivalent work in the Department of Transport, the union said.

Benefits strike

Mark Serwotka, PCS general secretary, said it was an "unacceptable" situation.

"This is yet another example of how the disparities which exist between different civil service departments can only be resolved by introducing national pay for civil servants."

The union also announced that administrative workers at driving centres will strike for two days, 16 and 17 February, because of the pay row.

'Poverty pay'

People with tests booked on those days have been advised to turn up.

If their test is then cancelled they will be rescheduled at no extra cost, the DSA said.

People with theory tests will be unaffected by the strike.

Civil servants voted last week to walk out for 48 hours next week after pay talks broke down.

The action will hit pensions, job centres and the Child Support Agency, threatening delays to benefit payments.

The union said the action was being taken over "poverty pay" in some parts of the civil service and disputed performance appraisals.