Teacher Pay Standoff
Victorian Public School Teachers Reject Government Pay Offer, Industrial Action Possible Ahead of Election
Key Points
Teachers and supporters said the deal would still leave salaries “thousands of dollars” behind other states—especially Western Australia—and that it would effectively only restore pay to 2021 levels by 2030, which many called “untenable.”
A well-organised “no” camp within the union argued teachers should build on the momentum from March, when about 35,000 educators marched in Melbourne, by pressing for more industrial action.
AEU Victorian branch president Justin Mullaly told members, “It is clear that despite the improvements to the state government’s March offer, the majority of members hold the view that the government’s May offer has not gone far enough to address their concerns.”
One cited flashpoint in the dispute was the “first 24-hour public school teacher strike in 13 years” that followed a prolonged campaign over pay and conditions.
After the ballot, the AEU said its AEU Joint Primary and Secondary Council—described as 120 elected teachers, education support staff and principals—would meet to set next steps, including pushing for “the state and federal governments to sign a funding agreement to fully fund every Victorian public school just like public schools are in every other state and territory.”
Victorian public school teachers have voted down a pay deal backed by their own union, setting the stage for fresh strikes ahead of the November state election. A statewide ballot of about 60,000 members returned a 57.7% to 42.3% rejection of the in-principle agreement, according to AEU Victoria.
The rejected offer from the Allan Labor Government proposed pay rises of 28.3% to 32.4% over four years — short of teachers' headline demand for a 35% rise over three years. AEU Victorian branch president Justin Mullaly said members had "sent a clear message" that the deal "does not go far enough," AAP reported.
Why Teachers Rejected a Deal Their Union Endorsed
The AEU leadership backed the May offer as a significant step up from an earlier 17% proposal. But rank-and-file teachers disagreed sharply. Critics argued the deal would only restore pay to 2021 levels in real terms by 2029 — a full eight years of lost ground. Under the rejected agreement, an experienced teacher's salary would have risen from $118,063 to $151,419, The Educator reported.
Workload was the other main flashpoint. Teachers average 12 unpaid hours per week — worth roughly $27,000 a year per person — according to AEU Victoria. Many said promised changes to professional practice days would add burdens rather than ease them. Education support staff also objected that their gains were mostly lump-sum payments, not real salary improvements.
Victoria Pays Teachers Thousands Less Than Other States
A core grievance driving the "no" vote is Victoria's wide pay gap with other states. A teacher in Wodonga, Victoria, currently earns about $15,000 less per year than a counterpart across the border in Albury, New South Wales, according to Teaching Jobs. Western Australia was also frequently cited as a comparison point, with teachers saying the deal would still leave them "thousands of dollars" behind.
Funding sits at the root of the problem. Victoria's public schools are the lowest funded in Australia, with the state contributing around 75% of the benchmark Schooling Resource Standard. The government recently pushed back its commitment to reach full funding from 2028 to 2031, The Educator reported. The AEU has called on both state and federal governments to sign a funding agreement to bring Victoria in line with every other state and territory.
Strike Momentum Builds After March's 35,000-Strong March
The rejection comes after a year of escalating action. In March 2026, about 35,000 educators marched through Melbourne's CBD in the first 24-hour statewide teacher strike in 13 years, closing or disrupting more than 500 schools, The Guardian reported. A well-organised "no" camp within the union argued teachers should build on that momentum rather than accept a deal they called a "sellout."
The AEU's Joint Primary and Secondary Council — 120 elected teachers, support staff and principals — met on June 19 and resolved to lift the suspension on industrial action, International Business Times reported. That means 24-hour strikes could follow within months. The union also immediately reinstated bans on Labor MPs visiting public schools.
Government Digs In as Election Clock Ticks Down
Premier Jacinta Allan had promoted the deal as making Victorian teachers the "best paid in the nation." After the vote, Education Minister Ben Carroll pushed back hard. He accused union leaders of being "out of touch" and warned the state does not have an "inexhaustible supply of funds," according to AAP. Analysts called the result a "shock upset" for a government hoping to resolve the dispute five months before polling day.
The AEU has called for an immediate return to the bargaining table. But Carroll's tone suggests the government may take a harder line, PerthNow reported. With teacher morale at a new low and a workforce retention crisis already under way, both sides face mounting pressure to reach a deal — or risk classrooms being empty again well before November.
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