Having negotiated and publicly endorsed the in-principle agreement as one worthy of member consideration, following its rejection by members, the AEU is now seeking further guidance about what they feel should be pursued in a revised offer and what forms of industrial action they would be prepared to get behind.
“Victorian public schools remain the lowest funded in the country, with the State Government deciding to cut $2.4 billion through to 2031,” AEU Vic Branch president, Justin Mullaly said yesterday in a statement.
“This has significant implications for students and for the workloads and associated conditions of our members.
Mullaly said the Government’s May offer obviously did not go far enough to address the concerns of the majority of union members and now the Government must come back with a revised offer that addresses the needs of Victorian teachers, education support employees and principals.
Tens of thousands of Australian Education Union members have engaged in a recent union survey about key concerns that they want to see addressed in a revised offer from government and the further industrial action steps they are willing to undertake.
The AEU has formally notified the Department that the suspended bans and limitations will start again on Monday 13 July 2026 – the first day of Term 3.
Following a vote by AEU sub-branch delegates, members voted “no” to the proposed agreement because they felt it did not go far enough to address deep workload pressures and pay concerns.
The survey allows members to rank their most critical priorities and gauge their willingness to participate in future industrial actions, and the feedback will be used to shape the union’s negotiating strategy with the Department of Education.
In an opinion piece published on EducationHQ, education speaker and author Ben Sacco, however, argues that the survey reveals a major problem, one that has increasingly emerged throughout education bargaining processes across Australia.
The survey, he says, asks members what else they want – it does not meaningfully ask them what they think about the in-principle agreement initially proposed.
He says that while Victorian teachers deserve better pay and manageable workloads, along with safer and more sustainable workplaces, above all, they deserve an honest conversation about what bargaining can realistically achieve.
AEU Victoria members are encouraged to log into the AEU Victoria VGSA Campaign portal here to access FAQs and complete the survey, which closes on Wednesday, July 15.
If any teachers have not received the survey, they can contact the AEU here to investigate what has happened.
Educators with additional feedback or information can also email the AEU here.
Results will be shared with members on Thursday, July 16.
