TECH workers at the Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency (DVSA) started a month-long strike on Thursday.

IT support workers in Nottingham and Swansea, who belong to the PCS union, will stay out until late September.

The workers claim that management is forcing them to stay longer than necessary at work and that this is negatively affecting workers’ private lives, particularly those with care duties.

The action is expected to disrupt DVSA systems, including the booking of driving tests, accident investigations and staff training schemes.

PCS general secretary Mark Serwotka said: “This dispute has been going on three years and members have had enough.

“For members to take four weeks of action shows the strength of feeling amongst staff.

“DVSA and DfT [Department for Transport] bosses must understand that potentially hundreds of workers could walk out in the coming months if they don’t get what they deserve.

“Our members want a negotiated settlement but are quite prepared to escalate strike action going forward.”