On behalf of Prospect’s 580 VOSA members negotiator Helen Stevens said: “Today’s announcement from Transport minister Jim Fitzpatrick is great news and draws a line under the hard fought campaign to keep this safety critical organisation in the public sector.

“Prospect, along with our colleagues in Unite and PCS, is delighted that common sense has prevailed after three years of arguing that outsourcing parts of VOSA would damage rather than improve safety and efficiency. It is a shame, however, that the government didn’t listen sooner and save the taxpayers millions wasted in consultants’ fees.

“We now look forward to working closely with VOSA’s management and Department of Transport officials on plans to invest £28 million to upgrade the services and create a testing service fit for the 21st century that the minister has in mind.”

Key safety functions covered by the outsourcing review included: lorry and bus testing; training services; operator licensing administration; prosecution and legal services; traffic, vehicle and MOT enforcement administration; and routine enforcement.

The joint union campaign against privatisation started in November 2005 when ministers at the Department for Transport asked VOSA's chief executive Stephen Tetlow to investigate the feasibility of outsourcing some of the agency’s functions.

Background information about Prospect's campaign against VOSA privatisation is available in the Campaigns area of our site.