World News

Napo members in England and Wales back probation strike action over pay

Overtime restrictions and other action short of a strike could begin 23 November; the union calls a 5% pay offer inadequate.

Published Nov 14, 2026 · 01:38 UTC2 reports

The short version

Probation officers across England and Wales voted to strike over pay and excessive workloads.[The Guardian]
Napo says the ballot followed a 5% pay offer it calls inadequate, after seeking a 12% rise.[The Guardian]
Action short of a strike, including overtime restrictions, is likely to begin on 23 November.[The Guardian]
The Ministry of Justice says its offer is strong and gives every worker a further 5% pay rise.[The Guardian]

Probation officers across England and Wales voted to strike over pay and excessive workloads.[The Guardian]
Napo members backed overtime restrictions and other action short of a strike, which is likely to start on 23 November.[The Guardian]
Napo said its ballot was launched because of an inadequate 5% pay offer from ministers and a failure to cut workloads.[The Guardian]
Napo had sought a 12% pay increase.[The Guardian]
The Ministry of Justice said it has put a strong offer on the table, giving every worker a further 5% pay rise.[The Guardian]
A September report by His Majesty's Inspectorate of Probation found that almost half of electronic tags used to track offenders' movements were not fitted on time.[BBC News]

The pay offer's adequacy is disputed: Napo calls the 5% offer inadequate, while the Ministry of Justice calls it strong.[The Guardian]
The start of overtime restrictions and other action short of a strike is described as likely, not confirmed.[The Guardian]

Outlet counts describe coverage, not independent confirmation. Reports may share a wire service or original source.