PROBATION officers overwhelmingly rejected a motion this weekend calling for their union to explore the possibility of a merger.

Of three motions submitted on the subject, only one was prioritised for debate at Napo’s AGM.

It called for “an immediate review into the longevity of the union and as part of this process to explore the possibility of affiliation with another union at some point in the future.”

Essex member Jamie Overland said his branch was “pretty concerned” with “dwindling” membership numbers in light of government attacks on the profession.

He said the motion was intended “not to commit Napo to anything at all but to take a blue-skies approach.”

But speaking against the motion, delegate Judith Gardner said: “Now is absolutely the wrong time to be giving the message to the employers and to our detractors elsewhere … that we might be throwing in the towel.”