Thousands of public school teachers, principals and education support staff in Victoria will go on strike on Tuesday for the first time in 13 years, affecting up to 500 schools. The industrial action was approved by the Fair Work Commission after 98% of Australian Education Union (AEU) members voted in favour, citing low pay and excessive workloads.
The Victorian education department has warned that many schools will only be able to supervise a 'limited number of students', meaning many parents will need to take the day off work to care for their children. The strike is expected to 'significantly' impact schools across the state.
Despite Victoria's licence plates carrying the slogan 'the education state', educators argue that their conditions do not reflect this. The AEU has been pushing for better pay and manageable workloads to attract and retain staff in the public school system.
This marks the first major strike by Victorian teachers in over a decade, highlighting ongoing tensions between the union and the state government over education funding and staff welfare.
