Probation officers across England and Wales have voted to strike over pay and excessive workloads, according to The Guardian. The outlet reported that the vote came on Friday and dealt a blow to the government's plans to release thousands of prisoners early to tackle prison overcrowding. The report was written by Rajeev Syal, the Guardian's home affairs editor.

The Guardian reported that members of the union Napo backed overtime restrictions and other forms of action short of a full strike. The summary of the report ends partway through that description, so the full scope of the planned action and its timing were not included in the material available for this story.

The outlet linked the vote to two concerns raised by probation staff, pay and workloads, which it described as excessive. It also connected the vote to the government's early-release policy, which is intended to ease pressure on prisons that are overcrowded. The report indicates the vote is set against that policy, though the available summary does not describe the connection in further detail.

The material available for this report contained only The Guardian's account, so no other outlet's version of the vote is available to confirm or compare. Details of any government response were not included in the available summary.

Sources: The Guardian: Probation officers in England and Wales vote for strike action over pay and workloads.