Probation officers in England and Wales vote for strike action over pay and workloads
Probation officers in England and Wales have voted for strike action over pay and workloads, according to the Guardian. The union Napo, which represents probation staff, said its members have also backed action short of a full strike, including overtime restrictions, which is likely to begin on 23 November 2026.
In the ballot on pay, 74% of members voted in favour of strike action, and 85% backed action short of a strike. On workloads, 75% voted in favour of strikes and 87% backed action short of one.
Napo is planning for full strike action to follow at a later stage, after the initial action short of a strike.
The union said it launched the ballot because of what it called an inadequate 5% pay offer from ministers, and because workloads had not been cut. Napo had sought a 12% pay increase for probation staff.
Pay negotiations with HMPPS, His Majesty's Prison and Probation Service, the body that runs probation in England and Wales, have ended. According to Napo, the 5% offer was presented to the trade unions as "best and final" and was conditional.
On workloads, HMPPS confirmed on Friday 25 September 2026 its decision to shut down the Workload Measurement Tool.
The Ministry of Justice is recruiting an additional 1,300 trainee probation officers for the 2026-27 financial year. The recruitment is part of a £700m investment package that runs through 2028-29. Separately, about 2,500 offenders are expected to be released by the end of 2026 under an early release scheme launched in October to ease overcrowding in prisons.
