Thousands of Victorian public school teachers and education support staff will walk off the job on Thursday morning, after members of the Australian Education Union (AEU) voted to reject the Allan government’s latest pay and conditions offer, paving the way for a statewide 24-hour strike.
The industrial action is scheduled to begin with a rally at 10.30 am, where teachers, principals and education support staff are expected to gather in Melbourne to press their demands for improved salaries, reduced workloads and greater investment in public education.
The strike will affect hundreds of government schools across Victoria, with many schools advising parents that classes will either be cancelled or significantly disrupted. While schools are expected to remain open where possible, many will operate with limited supervision rather than normal teaching programs.
The decision follows an online ballot in which 51.18 per cent of participating AEU members voted to reject the Victorian Government’s revised four-year agreement, while 48.82 per cent supported accepting the offer. More than 50,000 members participated in the vote, representing over 90 per cent of eligible union members.
The Allan government had urged the union to call off the strike after improving its offer. The proposal included salary increases of at least 28.3 per cent over four years, with some employees eligible for increases of up to 32.4 per cent, alongside reductions in compulsory meeting hours and other workload measures.
However, the union says the revised offer does not adequately address the growing pressures facing teachers and education support staff. The AEU continues to seek a 35 per cent pay rise over three years, stronger commitments to reduce excessive workloads, smaller class sizes, increased support for students with additional needs and full funding of Victoria’s public schools to the nationally agreed Schooling Resource Standard.
AEU Victoria President Justin Mullaly has argued that the dispute is about more than salaries, saying teachers are leaving the profession because of unsustainable workloads and chronic underfunding. The union maintains that meaningful improvements to working conditions are essential to addressing teacher shortages across the state.
Education Minister Ben Carroll expressed disappointment with the result, saying the government’s offer would have made Victorian teachers and education staff among the best paid in Australia. He urged the union to return to negotiations and minimise disruption to students and families.
The planned walkout marks the latest escalation in a dispute that has stretched for months and follows earlier industrial action this year. Unless an agreement is reached, further strikes remain possible in the coming weeks.
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