Thousands of Victorian public school teachers, principals, and education support staff are set to strike for 24 hours on Thursday, July 23, following the rejection of a revised government pay and conditions offer. In a ballot involving more than 50,000 members of the Australian Education Union (AEU), 51.18 per cent voted against the proposal, signaling a continuation of the long-running industrial dispute. The strike is expected to cause widespread disruption across the state's public school system, with many schools likely to close or operate with limited supervision.
The rejected agreement included a pay increase of 28.3 per cent over four years. While the headline figure was significant, a narrow majority of union members concluded that the offer failed to adequately address broader concerns regarding the teaching profession. These include rising living costs, persistent staff shortages, and the increasing administrative and classroom pressures that educators face daily. The vote reflects a deep-seated frustration among staff who argue that their current working conditions are becoming unsustainable.
Beyond salary adjustments, the union has been campaigning for systemic changes, including hard caps on class sizes and increased overall funding for public schools. AEU Victorian branch president Justin Mullaly stated that the result sends a clear message to the Allan Labor government that more must be done to support the public education sector. He highlighted concerns that many teachers are leaving the profession, citing a statistic that only three in ten public school teachers plan to remain in the system long-term.
The industrial action follows months of stalled negotiations and a previous statewide strike in March, which was the first of its kind in 13 years. As the union prepares for the upcoming stoppage, parents and carers have been advised to monitor communications from their individual schools regarding operational changes. The government and the union are now expected to return to the bargaining table to seek a resolution that satisfies both the state's fiscal constraints and the workforce's demands for better support and resources.