In short:
Victorian public school staff have overwhelmingly backed a new pay and conditions offer following more than a year of negotiations with the Victorian Government. The vote means a third statewide stop work planned for 19 August will no longer go ahead.
Third Strike Canned
Victorian public school teachers, principals and education support staff have overwhelmingly backed a new pay and conditions offer, bringing more than a year of negotiations and industrial action closer to an end.
The Australian Education Union says 79 per cent of members who voted supported the Victorian Government’s offer, which includes pay increases of between 28.3 and 32.4 per cent over four years and a $2,000 lump sum payment at the start of the agreement.
The deal marks a significant breakthrough in an industrial dispute that has been one of the Labor Government’s ongoing headaches.
Public school staff walked off the job statewide in March and again during a 24-hour stop work on 23 July, while teachers and union members have also staged protests during the lengthy negotiations.
Pay Increases Planned Across Several Years
A third stop work planned for 19 August will now not go ahead following the vote.
Under the proposed agreement, all teachers will receive a minimum 13.04 per cent increase in 2026, with further annual increases of between four and 4.9 per cent through to 2029.
The AEU says an experienced teacher’s salary will rise from $118,063 to $151,419 by 2029, while early career teachers will receive a $12,343 increase by October 2026.
Education support staff, principals and assistant principals will receive minimum increases of 28.3 per cent over four years.
The offer also includes four professional practice days each year and reductions in meeting requirements.
The agreement must now go to a vote of all employees, as required under the Fair Work Act.
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