A group of civil servants within the Ministry of Defence (MoD) are taking strike action following years of unresolved concerns regarding workplace treatment, management practices, and failures in leadership accountability.
Members of the Unite union have, for years, raised serious and ongoing concerns about the conduct, capability, and decision-making of immediate line management. 
The specialised civilian service VIP chauffeur drivers operate nationwide, providing discreet, secure, and highly professional transport for senior government personnel.
Drawn from highly skilled backgrounds, including former military personnel and ex-police officers, they possess advanced driving qualifications and a deep understanding of security protocols. Beyond the safe and efficient movement of individuals, they are also entrusted with the secure handling and transportation of sensitive and classified documents, delivering a trusted.
For over five years, staff have raised serious and ongoing concerns about the conduct, capability, and decision-making of their immediate line management. Despite repeated efforts to resolve these issues through both informal discussions and formal union channels, meaningful progress has not been achieved. Concerns raised have consistently been acknowledged but not acted upon, with agreed actions frequently ignored and established MoD policies not followed.
Unite general secretary Sharon Graham said: "Drivers at the MoD are responsible for the safety and security of the country's top brass and highly sensitive documents. Yet their jobs are being made impossible because of a complete failure by management to address legitimate concerns. This has left staff at the end of their tether, with no confidence in the current system.”
 
“Our members will have the full backing of their union in this dispute."
 
Staff have also raised serious concerns regarding the handling of personal data, with multiple instances where employee data privacy rights have been breached, alongside a workplace culture where individuals are regularly and inappropriately questioned about their earnings and allowances.
Unite regional officer Keith Henderson said: “Strike action will cause severe disruption to the smooth running of the MoD. But this dispute is entirely the responsibility of management who have let the wheels fall off by refusing to deal with these problems for years”
Strike will take place across five days on 16-17 July and 20-22 July