Victorian teachers are going on strike again — here's what you need to know

Victorian state school teachers and educators are set to walk off the job for their second major strike on Thursday, following a decisive rejection of the government's most recent pay offer. The industrial action underscores a prolonged dispute over pay and working conditions that has been ongoing for over a year.

The strike follows a significant 24-hour walkout in March, which saw approximately 35,000 educators and supporters march through Melbourne's city center. While the union had initially reached an in-principle agreement with the state government in May, union members voted against their leadership's advice and rejected the proposal.

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You've got a state government that wants to call Victoria the education state but can't actually back that up with the resources that school staff need to delver the quality education that our children deserve.

Negotiations have been stalled for over a year, with the Australian Education Union (AEU) initially demanding a 35% pay rise over three years. After failed talks, the March strike occurred. An agreement in May proposed a 28-32% pay increase over four years, but this was rejected by members in June due to concerns about excessive workloads, inadequate school funding, and insufficient pay for support staff.

The government made a new offer last week, including a 28% pay rise over four years for support staff and a reduction in compulsory meetings. However, this proposal was also rejected by more than 51% of the over 50,000 members who voted. AEU Victoria Branch president Justin Mullaly stated that teachers desire a three-year agreement and more substantial action to alleviate workloads, criticizing the government for not providing necessary resources to schools.

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Our members have had enough of it, they've had a gutful and they want our schools funded properly they also want the terms and conditions that they need in order to thrive.