Victorian teacher’s strike LIVE: Schools to close to students as teachers walk off job to protest pay deal

Good morning, and thank you for joining our live coverage as Victoria’s public school teachers and principals strike for the second time in four months.

I’m education reporter Bridie Smith, and I’ll be helming our blog while my colleagues Alex Crowe, Jackson Graham and Caroline Schelle bring you live updates from the rally.

Today’s industrial action comes after teachers, principals and education support staff rejected a revised government pay offer of 28.3 per cent over four years made in April and a 17 per cent pay offer over three years proposed in March.

You can catch up with what has been happening here.

Tens of thousands of union members are expected to meet at Bourke Street Mall at 10.30am and march through the Melbourne CBD wearing red.

The rally will end at Parliament House where AEU Victorian branch president Justin Mullaly will address the crowd.

All the state’s 1570 government schools are expected to remain open during the industrial action. However, many will only provide supervision for a limited number of students.

The Australian Education Union says Victorian teachers are the nation’s lowest-paid public education workforce and argues that a 35 per cent pay increase over three years would bring Victorian teachers into line with their NSW counterparts.

A graduate teacher in Victoria earns $78,801 compared with $90,177 in NSW, while the pay gap between experienced classroom teachers is $15,000.

But the months-long union campaign is not just about pay. Conditions are also a sticking point between the government and the AEU, which is pushing for smaller class sizes, lower workload, flexible working arrangements and more support for students with complex needs.

Good morning, and thank you for joining our live coverage as Victoria’s public school teachers and principals strike for the second time in four months.

I’m education reporter Bridie Smith, and I’ll be helming our blog while my colleagues Alex Crowe, Jackson Graham and Caroline Schelle bring you live updates from the rally.

Today’s industrial action comes after teachers, principals and education support staff rejected a revised government pay offer of 28.3 per cent over four years made in April and a 17 per cent pay offer over three years proposed in March.

You can catch up with what has been happening here.