Teacher strike confirmed as AEU members reject revised pay offer

More than 35,000 people supported the Australian Education Union's march to parliament when public school teachers went on strike in March. Photo: Australian Education Union Victoria.

Thousands of Victorian public school teachers will strike on Thursday 23 July after union members rejected the state government’s latest pay offer.

More than 50,000 Australian Education Union (AEU) members voted on the revised agreement, with 51.18 per cent voting against the proposal.

The strike follows almost a year of negotiations between the union and state government without an agreed outcome.

AEU Victorian branch president Justin Mullaly said the result sends a clear message that the government must better fund public schools.

“When just three in 10 public school teachers plan to stay working in public schools in Victoria, it is obvious there is a problem,” Mullaly said.

“Victorian public school teachers, principals and education support staff are demanding the Allan Labor government acts in line with what they say Victoria is.

“This government says this is the education state. But this can’t be the case when this government has deliberately ripped $2.4 billion out of our public schools.”

Public school teachers previously took strike action for the first time in 13 years in March, with an estimated 35,000 people attending a Melbourne rally in support of the action.

The Independent Education Union, meanwhile, has confirmed members will take solidarity actions while continuing their own bargaining.