Victorian public school teachers will walk off the job on Tuesday in the first statewide strike in 13 years, escalating a long-running dispute with the Victorian government over pay, workload and school funding.
The action has been backed by 98% of Australian Education Union members and will see teachers, principals and education support staff rally at Trades Hall before marching to Parliament House.
The stopwork comes after months of bargaining and follows the union’s rejection of the government’s latest pay offer, which it says still leaves educators behind interstate counterparts and does little to ease the pressure inside schools.
The AEU says Victorian teachers remain the lowest paid in the country, while the government argues its offer is strong and remains open to further negotiation.
What Sparked The Strike
The dispute centres on more than just salary. The union has spent months arguing that teachers are being stretched by rising workloads, extra admin, staffing shortages and growing student needs, with many educators saying the job now looks very different from the one they signed up for.
AEU Victoria president Justin Mullaly said the government had taken too long to come back with an offer and accused it of failing to properly value the work of school staff, with the union rejecting a 17% pay offer.
The union’s demands include a 35% pay rise over three years, along with reduced face-to-face teaching hours, smaller class sizes, more planning time and fully funded time-in-lieu arrangements.
Education Minister Ben Carroll has pushed back, describing the proposal as a significant offer and urging the union to choose negotiation over disruption. The government says public schools will remain open, but many schools have already begun warning families to expect cancellations, reduced staffing or altered classroom arrangements.
What Parents Should Know
Parents should check directly with their child’s school, as impacts will vary from campus to campus and some schools have already told families they will cancel or modify classes on Tuesday.
In at least one Melbourne-area primary school, staff have advised parents that Years 3 to 6 will not be required to attend because of the strike.
The action will affect thousands of students across Victoria, although the scale will depend on how many staff at each school take part. The union has made clear that only AEU members can take part in the protected industrial action.
Strike Transport Changes In The City
Melburnians heading into the CBD should also plan ahead, with Yarra Trams warning of major service changes due to the rally in the city. Planned changes will run from 1.30pm to 5pm, with disruptions affecting several of the city’s busiest routes.
Yarra Trams says no Route 3, 64 or 67 trams will run between Stop 20 Anzac Station and Melbourne University, while Route 1 and 6 trams will not run between Stop 7 RMIT University and Stop 11 Collins Street.
The disruption will also affect routes 5, 16 and 72 and suspend Route 30.
Route 86 and 96 trams will divert via La Trobe Street, while a limited shuttle will run as Route 86a between Queen Street and Central Pier Docklands.
Yarra Trams is advising passengers to allow extra time, check tramTRACKER and use alternative transport options such as City Loop trains and buses along Lonsdale Street.
Why This Strike Matters
The strike has become a flashpoint over how Victoria funds and values its public school system. The union says the dispute is about attracting and keeping teachers in a profession many are leaving under pressure, while the government is trying to frame its offer as fair and competitive.
It also lands at a time when public frustration around cost of living and stretched services is already high, which gives the action extra political weight.
With both sides holding firm, workers will use Tuesday’s stopwork to test the Victorian government and show their anger, saying the government has pushed them too far.
