Victorian teachers reject government pay offer, demand renegotiation and possible strikes
Consensus Summary
Victorian teachers overwhelmingly rejected a 28–32% pay rise offer over four years, voting 57.7% against the deal despite the Australian Education Union (AEU) leadership endorsing it. The rejection came after a bitter internal campaign, with teachers demanding a 35% rise over three years and better conditions, including workload reductions and pay parity with other states. The AEU’s governing council met urgently on June 19, 2026, to discuss next steps, while Education Minister Ben Carroll called the outcome disappointing but pledged to consider further negotiations. The opposition criticized the government for being out of touch, and union activists signaled plans for renewed industrial action, including potential statewide strikes. The dispute threatens to escalate ahead of the November state election, as the AEU’s stance could impact its traditional support for the Labor government. Meanwhile, concerns about the union’s internal democracy and transparency were highlighted, with members accusing leadership of being disconnected from rank-and-file demands.
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Key details reported by multiple sources:
- Victorian teachers voted 57.7% to 42.3% to reject the state government’s 28–32% pay rise offer over four years, despite the Australian Education Union (AEU) leadership endorsing the deal.
- The AEU’s in-principle agreement with the Victorian government included pay rises of 28–32% over four years and additional student-free days, but teachers sought a 35% rise over three years.
- The AEU’s Victorian branch president, Justin Mullaly, stated that teachers’ concerns about workload, funding, and pay parity with other states were not adequately addressed.
- Education Minister Ben Carroll called the rejection ‘disappointing’ and said the government would ‘consider this outcome’ but would ‘always back’ teachers.
- The AEU’s governing branch council met urgently on June 19, 2026, to discuss next steps, including potential further industrial action.
- The March 2026 teacher strike saw 35,000 educators participate, marking the first 24-hour Victorian teacher strike in 13 years.
- The AEU represents approximately 60,000 Victorian members, including teachers and education support staff.
- Opposition education spokesperson Brad Rowswell criticized the government for being ‘out of touch’ with teachers and called for Premier Jacinta Allan to intervene.
Points of Difference
Details reported by only one source:
- The AEU last month announced it had reached an in-principle agreement with the state government that would make some Victorian teachers the highest paid in the country.
- Justin Mullaly believed the offer would be accepted and would address concerns about Victorian teachers being paid less than those in other states.
- The union is holding an urgent meeting after teachers rejected the in-principle pay agreement, with a 120-member Joint Primary and Secondary Council discussing next steps.
- The AEU’s democratic processes included a vote where a majority rejected the offer, with Mullaly stating members had sent a ‘clear message’ to the government.
- Long-time union activist Lucy Honan, a key figure in the ‘No’ camp, stated that the vote showed teachers wanted to continue confronting the state government and demanded further industrial action.
- The AEU’s social media accounts were ‘vigorously policed’ to remove dissenting comments, and dozens of members, including elected school delegates, were blocked.
- The union’s governing branch council endorsed the proposed deal but did not publish a list of councillors or their contact details, raising concerns about transparency.
- Education Minister Ben Carroll confirmed at The Age’s Education Summit that an agreement with the Commonwealth for full funding of Victorian schools is being finalized, expected around the same time as the schools’ enterprise bargaining agreement (EBA).
- A teacher opinion piece by Robert Corr criticized the AEU leadership for being out of touch, citing canceled regional meetings and lack of member input in decision-making.
Contradictions
Conflicting information between sources:
- The ABC states the pay rise offer was 28–32% over four years, while the opinion piece in The Age suggests the offer would barely bring teachers back to their 2021 salaries by 2030, implying a lower real-term gain.
- The ABC reports the AEU leadership believed the offer would make Victorian teachers the highest paid in the country, but The Age’s opinion piece argues the offer would leave most classifications thousands of dollars behind NSW and WA teachers annually.
- The ABC does not mention the AEU blocking members on social media or suppressing dissent, while The Age’s opinion piece explicitly states these actions occurred.
Source Articles
Victorian teachers reject pay offer against union advice
Victorian state school teachers vote to reject the government's 28 to 32 per cent pay rise, despite their union's stance.
Demands for more school strikes as teachers reject 28 per cent pay offer
Australian Education Union members have voted down the state government’s proposal, setting the stage for more industrial chaos.
The union is no longer acting for us teachers. I’m part of the 58 per cent who voted No
As a teacher in a public secondary school, with a daughter in a public primary school, the strength of the No vote was not a surprise at all.