Teacher strikes in 2026: every stoppage, state by state, and how each ended

Teacher strike timeline, 2025 to October 2026

Victoria: two strikes, then a 28% to 32% deal

The AEU Victorian Branch claimed 35%. The government's offer was reported at 18.5% over four years. On 24 March 2026 more than 30,000 teachers and principals stopped work for 24 hours, by the AEU's estimate, the first statewide strike in over 13 years. A second 24-hour stoppage followed in July 2026, along with a ban on unpaid overtime.

A revised offer came on 10 August. On 17 August 2026 AEU members accepted it, with 83% taking part and 79% voting yes, and a third strike planned for 19 August was called off. The formal staff ballot closed on 17 September with 93.1% approval. The Fair Work Commission approved the VGSA 2026 on 16 October 2026 and it came into operation on 23 October. It gives 28.3% to 32.4% over four years plus a $2,000 payment, with back pay to 10 August 2026. See VIC teachers vote yes and the VIC pay rise page.

Tasmania: three days of rolling strikes

Tasmanian public school teachers struck by region over three days, 24 to 26 March 2026: the north-west on Tuesday, the north on Wednesday and the south on Thursday. Work bans were already in place, and the government had put a new proposal on 7 March. Some older summaries date these strikes to 2025; they were in March 2026.

AEU members accepted the Teachers Agreement 2025 with 72% voting yes, in a ballot that closed on 24 April 2026. It gives 3% from March 2026, 3% from March 2027 and 2.75% from March 2028, and runs to 19 September 2028. It also caps after-school meetings at 80 hours in 2026 and 60 hours in 2027. See the Tasmanian pay scale.

ACT: four actions and an offer rejected

Latest: rolling 1-hour stoppages from 8:30am to 9:30am ran area by area from 19 to 23 October 2026, with a 2-hour stoppage, a half day and a full-day strike flagged for Term 4 weeks 4, 6 and 8 if there is no deal. Dates, areas and what each stoppage costs: ACT teacher stoppages October 2026.

The ACT teaching agreement passed its nominal expiry on 31 March 2026, and no pay rise has been paid since 4 December 2025. The AEU ACT's July 2025 log of claims had 25 items, only one about pay; the rest cover staffing, class sizes, safety and disability support. Teachers held a 2-hour stoppage in May 2026 and closed public schools for a full day in June, the first full-day strike in 15 years.

On 11 September 2026 members rejected the government's offer of 9% over three years, which included extra at the top of the scale. A 2-hour morning stop-work followed on 24 September, closing schools again. The minister has said pay has progressed and the focus is now workload. The AEU has flagged rolling Term 4 action and another full-day strike later in 2026. Read ACT teachers reject pay offer and the ACT pay scale.

Queensland: 2025 strikes, now in arbitration

The QTU held its first statewide strike in 16 years on 6 August 2025, then a second 24-hour strike on 25 November 2025 after rejecting an 8% over three years offer. Members had voted 67.6% against the Department's formal offer. The dispute was referred to the Queensland Industrial Relations Commission for arbitration, and a 3% interim rise applies from 7 September 2026. Where the 4.75% award rise from 1 September 2026 gives a higher rate, teachers get the award rate.

Arbitration means a commission decides the outcome, so further strikes over this claim are less likely while it runs. A final decision is expected late 2026 or 2027. See QLD interim pay rise and the QLD pay rise page.

South Australia: Catholic school action

In South Australia the action is in Catholic schools, not government ones. IEU SA members took protected industrial action in September 2026 under a Fair Work Commission ballot order, including a stop-work at Rostrevor College on 23 September, black IEU shirts and bans on meetings and after-hours events. Catholic Education SA has offered 3% a year; the IEU claims 6% a year. No agreement had been reached as at 16 October 2026.

In SA government schools, the AEU SA's EA27 campaign is building before formal bargaining. The current agreement nominally expires around March 2027 and no offer has been made. See SA teachers' EA27 campaign and the SA pay scale.

Where action could come next

What a strike day means for you

For every state's current rates and scheduled rises, see the teacher pay rise tracker. To estimate back pay once a deal is approved, use the back pay calculator.