Victorian teachers' pay deal and strike resolution
Consensus Summary
The Victorian branch of the Australian Education Union (AEU) has endorsed a pay deal with the state government, offering teachers up to 32.4% pay rises over four years, with the highest increases for entry-level staff and sliding to 28.3% for senior roles. The agreement, estimated to cost $4.6 billion, also includes three additional student-free days per year and aims to make Victorian teachers the highest-paid in Australia, with top earners reaching over $151,000 by 2029. The deal follows a March 2026 statewide strike involving an estimated 35,000 teachers and staff, which came after the AEU rejected the government's initial 17% offer. The agreement now faces a union-wide ballot, with some members already expressing dissatisfaction, particularly over the pay structure not matching their demand for a 35% increase over three years. The state government frames the deal as part of broader efforts to fully fund Victoria’s schools to the Gonski standard, addressing chronic underfunding that contributed to the strike.
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Key details reported by multiple sources:
- The Victorian branch of the Australian Education Union (AEU) endorsed a pay deal offering teachers up to 32.4% pay rise over four years, with the highest increase (32.4%) for entry-level teachers and sliding to 28.3% for senior roles.
- The deal includes an increase in student-free days from five to eight per year (three additional days).
- The AEU previously rejected the state government's initial offer of a 17% pay rise, and teachers had demanded a 35% increase over three years.
- The March 2026 statewide strike saw an estimated 35,000 teachers and education staff participate, marching to state parliament in Melbourne.
- The deal is estimated to cost $4.6 billion over its four-year lifespan, according to Education Minister Ben Carroll.
- The agreement aims to make Victorian public school teachers the highest-paid in Australia, with top earners reaching over $151,000 by 2029.
- The AEU Victorian branch president is Justin Mullaly.
- The deal was endorsed by the AEU Victorian Branch Council on May 15, 2026, and will now go to a union-wide ballot for member approval.
- The state government claims the deal is part of a broader effort to fully fund Victoria’s schools to the Gonski standard, currently underfunded by 9-10%.
Points of Difference
Details reported by only one source:
- The deal was described as a 'significant step towards ending the wages stand-off' after 13 years since the last statewide strike.
- The AEU initially wanted a 35% rise over four years for all members, arguing Victorian teachers were paid far less than those in other states.
- The article mentions a photo of teachers cheering during a strike rally in Melbourne, with the caption 'Teachers cheer during speeches at the strike rally in Melbourne.'
- The deal includes an additional 39.1% average pay rise for early childhood educators over four years, bringing them to pay parity with school teachers.
- Premier Jacinta Allan explicitly stated that the agreement would make Victoria’s teachers 'the best paid in the country'.
- Education Minister Ben Carroll mentioned that the state is undertaking 'the biggest build in the nation,' with one in two schools built across Australia being constructed in Victoria.
- The article notes that some union delegates were already mobilizing to campaign for a 'no-vote' in the ballot, with Caitlin Wood, a teacher from Footscray Primary School, criticizing the pay offer as not adding up to the 35% demand over three years.
- The deal was described as 'one of the quickest' that has been done, with negotiations starting in July 2025 and concluding in May 2026.
Contradictions
Conflicting information between sources:
- ABC states the pay rise is 'between 28 and 32 per cent over the coming four years,' while THEAGE specifies the highest increase is 32.4% for entry-level teachers and slides to 28.3% for senior roles, implying a more precise range.
- ABC does not mention the $4.6 billion cost figure explicitly, while THEAGE attributes it directly to Education Minister Ben Carroll.
- THEAGE notes that the deal does not include a decrease in face-to-face teaching time, which ABC does not explicitly mention as part of the rejected demands.
Source Articles
Breaking: Education union endorses deal giving Victorian teachers up to 32pc pay rise
A drawn out pay dispute between Victoria's government and public sector teachers is set to come to an end, with the union endorsing a deal for pay rises between 28 and 32 per cent.
‘Best paid in the country’: Teacher deal to push top wages above $150,000
The state government’s in-principle deal to end the standoff with public teachers, which will cost $4.6 billion, will now be put to a vote of union members.