‘Catastrophic’ backlog at driving license agency due to staff being put at risk
A series of “catastrophic” decisions made at driving license agency the DVLA has led to 1.4m-long processing backlog, MPs heard today.
Mark Serwotka, general secretary of the Public and Commercial Services Union (PCS), said that the decisions had also put DVLA workers at risk.
He said that there had been 643 Covid cases at the agency’s headquarters in Swansea, including one death.
“In 21 years, I have never encountered the level of incompetence and mismanagement that is on display at the DVLA in Swansea,” Mr Serwotka told the MPs on Wednesday.
“The tragedy of that is not just that public are suffering. Our members many of whom are quite lowly paid and very stressed at work are bearing the brunt of this.”
He added that a deal to improve working conditions for staff had been withdrawn without any explanation.
The number of people being forced to work in the office rather than from home was behind the number of cases the agency has suffered.
The union says it wants more staff to be allowed to work remotely so those having to come into the DVLA’s offices could social distance better. It points to the fact that other government departments had been able to deliver remote working.
Earlier this year workers at the agency embarked on a four-day strike due to “fear” over their working conditions.
A DVLA spokeswoman said: “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.”