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Following a major one-day strike in March, the Australian Education Union (AEU) is ramping up pressure on the Allan Labor Government due to a breakdown in negotiations over the Victorian Government Schools Agreement (VGSA) 2026.
Key Details of the Action
Rolling Half-Day Strikes: Starting Monday, May 4, 2026, teachers will walk off the job for half a day on a region-by-region basis. These stoppages are designed to disrupt school operations and will often be followed by afternoon rallies at local Labor MPs’ offices.
Administrative Bans: Effective immediately (as of late April), staff have implemented several work bans, including:
Refusing to provide written comments on student report cards.
Not attending certain staff meetings or responding to Department of Education emails.
Continuing a ban on Labor MPs visiting government schools.
Potential School Closures: While the rolling strikes are half-day, many schools may be forced to close or operate at limited capacity during their designated strike windows due to inadequate supervision.
Why are they striking?
The dispute centers on pay, workload, and funding disparities:
Pay Gap: The union is demanding a 35% pay rise over three to four years. They argue that by October 2026, experienced Victorian teachers will earn approximately $15,000 less annually than their counterparts in New South Wales.
Workload: Teachers report an average of 12 hours of unpaid overtime per week and are seeking flexible working arrangements and smaller class sizes to combat burnout.
Funding: The AEU highlights that Victorian public schools remain the lowest-funded in the country and is calling for the state to address a multi-billion dollar funding shortfall.
Government Response
Education Minister Ben Carroll has stated that the government is committed to a “fair and reasonable deal” and has been meeting with the union multiple times a week. However, the union recently rejected a 17% to 18.5% pay offer, calling it “completely unacceptable” given current inflation and interstate wage competition.
For parents and students, the article suggests monitoring school newsletters and apps, as specific strike dates for individual regions will be announced shortly before they occur.
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