Thousands of teachers, principals and education support staff are taking industrial action across two states, with unions pointing to workload pressures, funding gaps and uncompetitive pay.
Public school teachers, principals and education support staff in Victoria are set to stop work for 24 hours tomorrow (24 March), as part of escalating industrial action over pay and conditions, while parallel strike action continues in Tasmania.
The Australian Education Union Victoria says the stop-work action marks the first statewide strike in more than 13 years, with more than 30,000 staff expected to take part.
AEU Victoria Branch President Mr Justin Mullaly said ongoing staffing shortages, excessive workloads and uncompetitive pay are placing significant pressure on the system.
“Victorian public schools have a serious workforce shortage because excessive workloads and uncompetitive pay are driving experienced staff out of the profession and making it difficult to attract the next generation,” Mullaly said.
He said teachers, principals and education support staff would “much rather be in the classroom teaching Victorian students”, but had been forced to take action after months of negotiations failed to deliver a fair offer from the Victorian Government.
The union has pointed to broader funding concerns, noting that Victorian public schools are among the lowest funded in Australia and are set to receive the same level of funding in 2026 as they did in 2023. It also claims the state will miss out on $2.4 billion in Commonwealth funding through to 2031 due to delays in finalising a full funding agreement.
A recent union survey found only 30 per cent of staff intend to remain in public schools long-term, while more than 80 per cent reported increased workloads due to inadequate support.
Meanwhile in Tasmania, the Australian Education Union Tasmania is continuing rolling strike action and work bans as part of its own dispute with the state government.
The Tasmanian campaign includes a boycott of NAPLAN testing and restrictions on meetings outside school hours, alongside 24-hour rolling strikes across regions.
The union has argued that members have been “left no alternative” but to escalate action, citing ongoing concerns around workload, safety and pay, and describing the situation as a point of significant escalation in negotiations.
In both states, unions say the actions are aimed at addressing long-standing issues affecting workforce sustainability, including pay competitiveness and workload pressures.
In Victoria, the union says the latest stop-work action follows more than nine months of negotiations and the rejection of a recent offer deemed insufficient to address key concerns.
“Victorian teachers, principals, and support staff would much rather be in the classroom… but because of the disrespect from the Government, they are having to stop work for 24 hours,” Mr Mullaly said.
The AEU says further industrial action remains on the table in Victoria if a revised offer is not put forward, while in Tasmania the rolling campaign is expected to continue as negotiations progress.
