Road Safety Authority (RSA) driver testers are set to take part in a one-day work stoppage next Friday over concerns about uninsured vehicles being presented for driving tests.
Several rounds of conciliation talks at the Workplace Relations Commission were unable to resolve the issue. In a statement on Thursday, Fórsa said driver testers would also engage in an indefinite industrial action by refusing to conduct a driving test unless the presenting candidate can produce a valid certificate of insurance.
The trade union added that the lack of a proper insurance verification system, combined with inadequate indemnity protections, had left staff exposed. These circumstances would be unacceptable in any other area of public service, Fórsa said.
In January, it was reported that car driving test waiting times had dropped from about 16 weeks in mid-2024 towards the RSA’s target of 10 weeks, though higher demand in more populous areas was also having an impact. Industrial action could now have a detrimental effect on waiting times.
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Fórsa said the RSA rejected union proposals to reform the standard operating procedure for driving tests. Ruairí Creaney, Fórsa assistant general secretary, said that in the current system, driver testers are not fully covered by the State Claims Agency, particularly when they conduct tests in uninsured vehicles.
The absence of a national insurance verification system means there is no reliable way to confirm that vehicles presented for tests are properly insured, Creaney said.
“Exposing driver testers to this level of potential risk makes no sense,” he added. “An uninsured vehicle is not a roadworthy vehicle and presents an unacceptable risk to the public. Driver testers are taking this action both in defence of public safety, and to ensure their own workplace is safe.”
Driver testers that are members of Fórsa balloted for industrial action last December. Ninety-five per cent voted in favour of industrial action, on a turnout of 83 per cent.
Philip Lambert, chair of Fórsa’s RSA professional branch, said: “Driver testers cannot be expected to conduct tests in vehicles where there is no certainty that proper insurance is in place. This action is necessary to protect staff while we continue to seek a more lasting and satisfactory solution.”
