VANCOUVER – Unionized Insurance Corporation of British Columbia workers walked off the job Tuesday for the second time this month in a push for wage increases, causing many customers to stay away.

Mark Jan Vrem, spokesman for the Crown corporation, said COPE 378 workers informed ICBC of the job action a week previous.

The heads-up was enough time for ICBC — which provinces car insurance, driver's licensing and vehicle registration — to issue notifications to all customers with scheduled appointments.

“People who had pre-booked appointments today, we got in touch with them and let them know,” he said Tuesday. “A lot of customers have decided not to show up today.”

The union is asking for inflationary increases and is expected to go back to bargaining later this month.

According to union spokeswoman Sage Aaron, the last employer offer was for a 2% increase over four years.

“What we’re asking is that our members don’t fall any further behind the cost of living,” she said, adding there are no plans for further strike action yet.

COPE 378 represents about 4,600 ICBC workers in BC, including those in claims centre, call takers, drivers’ licencing staff, among others.