Victorian teachers' strike over pay and conditions in July 2026
Consensus Summary
Victorian public school teachers are set to strike statewide for 24 hours next Thursday, July 23, over unresolved pay and workload disputes with the Allan Labor government. The strike follows the rejection of a 28 per cent pay rise over four years, with teachers demanding higher increases and better conditions. Both sources confirm teachers work an average of 12 hours of unpaid overtime weekly, and the Australian Education Union (AEU) Victoria branch is leading the action. The dispute stems from a broken in-principle agreement reached in May [DATE UNVERIFIED], which proposed pay rises of 28–32 per cent over four years. The government insists the deal would have made Victorian teachers the best-paid in the country, while the union argues it failed to address workloads and cost-of-living pressures. The strike is the latest in a series of industrial actions, including a March [DATE UNVERIFIED] protest attended by an estimated 35,000 people, and comes ahead of the November [DATE UNVERIFIED] state election.
✓ Verified by 2+ sources
Key details reported by multiple sources:
- Victorian public school teachers are set to strike on next Thursday, July 23, for 24 hours
- The strike follows a rejection of a 28 per cent pay rise over four years
- Teachers report working an average of 12 hours of unpaid overtime per week
- The Australian Education Union (AEU) Victoria branch is leading the industrial action
- The strike is the latest in a dispute with the Allan Labor government over funding and conditions
- The government claims the rejected deal would have made Victorian teachers the best-paid in the country
- The strike includes a ban on unpaid overtime
Points of Difference
Details reported by only one source:
- The Allan Labor government is accused of denying at least $2.4 billion in funding for Victorian public schools
- Just three in 10 employees expect to remain in public schools until retirement due to excessive workloads
- The March 2026 strike drew an estimated 35,000 people to Melbourne
- The first 24-hour Victorian teacher strike in more than a decade occurred in March 2026
- The AEU initially proposed pay rises of up to 32 per cent over four years in May 2026
- The March 2026 strike was the first since 2013 when negotiations with the Baillieu Coalition government broke down
- The union survey included responses from 17,480 teachers and 5,575 principals/support staff
- The union rejected a 28 per cent pay rise over four years, arguing for 35 per cent over three years
- The strike follows a union vote where over 90 per cent of surveyed teachers supported action
- Union members have also banned state Labor MPs from visiting public schools and blocked new government programs in term 3
- The government is facing an election in November 2026, adding pressure to resolve the dispute
Contradictions
Conflicting information between sources:
- ABC states the rejected pay rise offer was up to 32 per cent over four years, while THEAGE specifies the rejected offer was 28 per cent over four years (with union members demanding 35 per cent over three years)
- ABC mentions a 32 per cent pay rise was proposed in May 2026, but THEAGE does not reference this exact figure in its consensus facts
- ABC claims the March 2026 strike was the first in more than a decade, while THEAGE does not explicitly state a timeframe for the last strike beyond term 3 2026
Source Articles
Breaking: Victorian teachers set to strike again following deadlocked negotiations
A fresh statewide strike by Victorian public school teachers will he held next week, after negotiations with the Victorian government reached an impasse.
State school teachers to strike for 24 hours over pay dispute
School staff have voted to walk off the job as ongoing negotiations with government fail to reach an agreement.