DRIVING TESTERS EMPLOYED by the Road Safety Authority (RSA) are to carry out a work stoppage day next week over concerns about uninsured vehicles turning up for tests. 

Fórsa the union said the day of industrial action comes after conciliation talks at the Workplace Relations Commission (WRC) failed. 

Fórsa official Ruari Creaney said that as it stands, testers are not fully covered by the State Claims Agency while carrying out their duties, in particular when they have to do tests in uninsured vehicles. 

“The absence of access to a national insurance verification system means there is no reliable way to confirm that vehicles presented for tests are properly insured. Exposing driver testers to this level of potential risk makes no sense,” Creaney added. 

The union say this state of affairs leaves employees “exposed” and under pressure to proceed with tests in circumstances “that wouldn’t be acceptable in any other area of public service”. 

A ballot on the day of action in December saw 95% of members voting in favour, with a turnout of 83%. 

The chair of Fórsa’s RSA professional branch, Philip Lambert, said: “Driving testers cannot be expected to conduct tests in vehicles where there is no certainty that proper insurance is in place”. 

The day of action will commence next Friday from 8.15am to 5.30pm