Victoria offers 28.3% pay rise to avert teachers' strike

The Victorian Labor government has proposed a revised pay deal for teachers, principals and education support staff, offering a 28.3% wage increase over four years and a 12.75% rise by October 2026. The offer also halves mandatory meeting hours from 80 to 40 per year and includes an annual lump‑sum payment for senior teachers. The package is intended to stop a planned statewide strike on July 23 that could disrupt hundreds of government schools.

The Australian Education Union (AEU) has criticised the move, accusing the government of bypassing union leadership and warning that rank‑and‑file members may organise separate action if their “red lines” – including a 35% increase over three years, reduced class sizes and paid lunch breaks – are not met. Earlier in March, up to 35,000 teachers and support staff walked off the job in the state’s first mass teachers’ strike in 13 years.