Victorian teachers and education staff will vote on a new pay offer from the state government that could avert a third statewide strike and bring an end to a long‑running industrial dispute.
An extraordinary meeting of the Australian Education Union (AEU) council was held on Monday evening to consider the government’s latest proposal. The offer maintains the previously proposed 28-32% pay rise, depending on an educator’s role, but adds several new incentives aimed at addressing workload concerns.
Under the revised deal, educators would receive:
A $2,000 lump‑sum payment for signing the agreement
A cap on face‑to‑face teaching hours
A one‑hour reduction in weekly meeting time
A 1% annual lump‑sum payment for teachers, learning specialists, assistant principals and education support staff who have reached the top of their pay scale
annual lump‑sum payment for teachers, learning specialists, assistant principals and education support staff who have reached the top of their pay scale
The offer arrives just days before a planned 24‑hour statewide strike on August 19. The AEU council has voted to put the proposal to a ballot of all union members, with voting open immediately and closing on August 17 two days before the strike.
If a majority of members accept the offer, the strike will be cancelled.
The proposal also follows Premier Ben Carroll’s announcement that Victoria will increase funding to public schools in line with commitments under the former Gonski plan, signalling a broader push to resolve tensions with the education sector.
The next two days will determine whether classrooms across Victoria avoid another shutdown and whether the government’s latest concessions are enough to satisfy educators after months of negotiations.
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