Driving testers vote in favour of strike
Driving testers at the Road Safety Authority (RSA) have voted in favour of industrial action over concerns that workers are not properly protected by insurance if they are in a crash, writes Jamies McCarron.
The Fórsa trade union accused the RSA of failing to ensure testers are fully covered by the State Claims Agency (SCA).
A ballot on industrial action was launched by the union four weeks ago and it was announced yesterday that 83% of eligible members voted, with 95% opting for strike action.
The union is set to meet with the Workplace Relations Commission (WRC) on Tuesday, January 20, before determining its next steps.
The RSA is listed by the SCA as a State agency whose employees are covered by personal injury and third-party property damage claims.
The agency currently employs more than 190 permanent driver testers.
However, Fórsa has claimed a memo issued by RSA management to testers in December 2025 confirmed that staff are not automatically covered by the SCA if they conduct a test in a vehicle that is not properly insured.
The union said: “Instead, the memo stated that a driver tester would only be covered ‘in circumstances where he/she could prove negligence on the part of the RSA’, which driver testers regard as a serious and ongoing risk.”
Fórsa official Ruairí Creaney has said the union raised this issue before and called for guaranteed indemnity arrangements and access to the National Insurance Database.
He told RTÉ yesterday: “The ballot result demonstrates that members want this issue resolved once and for all.
“Driver testers cannot be expected to get into vehicles to do their jobs when they have no clarity on whether the vehicle is uninsured.”
Driving testers at the RSA have voted in favour of industrial action
The RSA has stated that it notes the outcome of yesterday’s ballot but denies that testers are not indemnified.
A spokesman said: “There is a confirmed WRC hearing date to consider this matter in full and looks forward to engaging with staff representatives.”
