VI believes test sale could be prevented
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by Karen Miles • The Government's decision to privatise HGV testing could still be reversed through pressure from the road transport industry, according to the Vehicle Inspectorate.
The unionsand more significantly management—believe that if hauliers voice their fears loudly enough they could force Transport Secretary John MacGregor to back down on hisdecision to sell off the VI's 91 test stations.
David Price, the trades union secretary at the VI, says: "We will be going back out to the trade to seek their support so that, in the interests of road safety and our jobs, testing should remain in the public sector."
A senior VI management source says: "We are working on the assumption that privatisation will go ahead...but there can always be factors that are unfore. seen that could change it."
The last attempt to privatise the test stations failed in the early 1980s, although Lloyds Register of Shipping was set to take over the operation as a single entity.
The VI has confirmed that up to 25%, or around 450 staff, could be lost from the organisation within five years as part of a planned 30% efficiency saving Unions say this level of loss would hit road safety.
LI The Civil and Public Servants Association has agreed to ballot its 5,500 members in the Departments of Transport and Environment on a day of action next month. DOT employees are protesting against proposed changes to 0-licensing (see page 18); those in the DoE are against market testing.