Victorian public school teachers, principals, and education support staff will strike across the state this Thursday, July 24, 2026, after voting 51.18 per cent to 48.82 per cent to reject the state government’s latest 28.3 per cent pay offer. The industrial action follows months of stalled negotiations over wages and heavy workloads.
Union Ballot Results and Planned Walkout
The decision to halt work comes after a high-participation online ballot in which more than 50,677 union members cast their votes, representing 90.2 per cent of those eligible to participate.
The upcoming strike is scheduled for Thursday, with members of the Australian Education Union (AEU) planning to gather at Melbourne’s Bourke Street Mall at 10:30 a.m. before marching to Parliament House. This marks the second major industrial action for the sector in recent months, following a large-scale protest in March where 35,000 educators walked off the job.
Stalled Negotiations on Pay and Conditions
At the heart of the dispute is a rejected government proposal for a 28.3 per cent pay rise over four years. While the government characterized the deal as an effort to make Victorian staff the best-paid in the country, the union has remained focused on broader workload concerns.
“The government’s done precious little to do anything meaningful to address that and our members are carrying the weight of all the excessive workload.”
Justin Mullaly, Australian Education Union Victorian president
Union leadership, led by branch president Justin Mullaly, has noted that graduate teachers currently earn $13,000 less than their counterparts in the Northern Territory. Although the union had previously sought a 35 per cent increase over three years, officials have not specified a new target figure that would satisfy their members, emphasizing instead that the current conditions are at the heart of this
dispute.
Government Response and Minister’s Appeal
Education Minister Ben Carroll expressed disappointment at the rejection, arguing that the tabled deal included some of the best conditions for educators in Australia. He has publicly urged the AEU leadership to cancel the planned strike to avoid disrupting student learning and forcing parents to find alternative childcare arrangements on short notice.
“I urge the AEU leadership to call off the planned strike, because students should be in classrooms and parents shouldn’t be left scrambling for childcare or losing a day’s pay.”
Ben Carroll, Education Minister
The Education Department has stated it is working to minimize the impact on families, with schools instructed to communicate supervision arrangements directly to parents. Despite these efforts, many schools are expected to offer only limited supervision during the 24-hour walkout.
Perspectives from the School Gate
For parents, the industrial action presents a logistical challenge. Marilyn Pisani, a mother at Coburg West Primary School, acknowledged the necessity of the strike for teachers while noting the personal strain it places on working families. I think it’s necessary for the teachers unfortunately, but it’s very inconvenient for parents,
she said, citing the need to juggle work and childcare duties at home.
Others in the school community expressed stronger alignment with the union’s position. Lulu Lentini, another parent at the same school, stated that she was totally fine with it
and planned to rely on support from friends and grandparents to manage the day, emphasizing her full support for the educators’ cause.
Future Industrial Uncertainty
The path forward remains unclear, with union rhetoric suggesting that the strike may be the start of a more aggressive phase of industrial action if a new offer is not tabled quickly. Branch councillor Lucy Honan indicated that the union’s left faction is already pushing for further strikes early next month if Minister Carroll fails to provide a more satisfactory proposal by July 30.
The union has already implemented several measures during term 3, including bans on state Labor MPs visiting public schools and a refusal to implement new government programs. As the July 30 deadline approaches, the pressure on both the government and the AEU to find a middle ground is mounting.
Sources: Theage.
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