The DSA have been strking on and off for about a year now. Some test centres where closed yesterday with some of them having picket lines and other with just signs up saying on strike.
I find this type of action completly unacceptable as all it is achieving is upset and financial penalties to the private test candidates, employers and the training schools.
With the goverment taking a strong stance on pay and conditions for public sector workers to try and control inflation for the benefit of all of us I cannot see what this strike will achieve.
I know that the examiners do not get paid a fortune for what they do but they all chose this job knowing this. The only way an increase in pay and conditions will come about is if they all get jobs as instructors, do a full days work and then there will be a shortage of examiners causing the DSA to look at it seriously.
The examiners are working to rule for the next 7 days so there will be plenty more tests cancelled this week.
Thanks examiners 
Not that i’m defending the examiners in any way, but there is only one DSA and if you want to be an examiner there is no other employer. Its not like Richard Branson telling his employees to go to another airline if they don’t like Virgin pay rates.
Wouldn’t it be nice to have a choice of examination ‘companies’, instead of the DSA monopoly.
BTW why is there only one monopolies commision? 
Smart Mart:
Not that i’m defending the examiners in any way, but there is only one DSA and if you want to be an examiner there is no other employer. Its not like Richard Branson telling his employees to go to another airline if they don’t like Virgin pay rates.
Wouldn’t it be nice to have a choice of examination ‘companies’, instead of the DSA monopoly.
BTW why is there only one monopolies commision?
Nice one Mart. I think a better protest by the examiners would be to pass everybody to get there point across
Pass everybody - that would be like Arkwright gggggiving something away.
More likely to fail everyone - oh yeah they do that now (nearly)!!
There is a claim form on the DSA website
All tests cancelled due to the strike will be refunded and the candidate is entitled to claim for the hire of the vehicle for test again and any loss of earnings and travel expencies.
If a company is paying for the training then they can put their loss of earnings in as well.
Please note that these costs are put into the overall running of the DSA and then passed back onto the customer in the test fee so the DSA do not mind paying these claims of because they know that we will pay for it anyway!
The form is under publications anf form then under “customer service”!!
I’ve never heard of anyone getting anything more back from the DSA than their test fee, and cost of vehicle for the test only. As most need at least an hour before and many training companies work in 4 hour blocks, it’s going to cost the trainee.
In my experience, I’ve had a test cancelled because the examiner was 10 mins late getting back from the previous test - could’nt possibly go out then! Also an examiner who had to go home becasue his daughter was unwell, cancelling the trainee just 2 mins before his test. Again there would have been time to do the test later by one of the other examiners, but no, this is the DSA and not the real commercial world!
Have had tests cancelled because the examiner allocated to my guys test was being sent to cover illness at another test centre (cars I think). They tried that a second time but I created so much that they sent another examiner, which was ok for my guy but I guess someone else missed out.
However when all is said and done we have to work with the examiners and the DSA, just sometimes a pity they don’t see us as their livelihood.
- I doubt a training company can afford to have an instructor twiddling their thumbs for a day and a lorry not earning 