Industrial Action

The Australian Education Union (AEU) has given notice that AEU members will take industrial action commencing from Monday 13 July 2026. This will remain in effect until the AEU advises otherwise. The Department of Education have provided the information below for AEU members.

The proposed actions are set out below:

1. In the event that an Australian Labor Party Member of the Victorian Parliament visits a school, AEU members who work at the school will stop work for the duration of the visit.
2. A ban on performing work unless the employee is wearing insignia, slogans and/or other material concerning the AEU or its campaign about the enterprise agreement.
3. Interrupting or stopping work to provide public comments, statements or any other information concerning the AEU campaign about the enterprise agreement including on personal social media, to members of the public or other media.
4. Interrupting or stopping work to hand out flyers about the AEU campaign for the enterprise agreement to parents and members of the public and/or to place campaign material on or off the workplace.
5. A ban on attending one hour of meetings per week that are scheduled in accordance with clause 24(3) of the Victorian Governments School Agreement 2022 (VGSA 2022) and are adjacent to employees’ hours of attendance; or have been agreed under clause 24(5)(b) of the VGSA 2022.
6. A ban on principal class employees attending principal area forum meetings (AEU members not APF members).
7. A ban on responding to emails from the Department of Education (the department) except emails that relate to child safety matters; occupational health and safety matters; and employee entitlements matters.
8. A ban on implementing any new department programs and/or initiatives.
9. A ban on all aspects of work related to the provision of written comments on student reports that will be provided to parents.

The Department provides the following guidance to AEU members to assist in making decisions about their participation in protected industrial action. In relation to the above you are reminded that:

1. in order to maintain your duty-of-care responsibilities you must provide me with 48 hours’ notice of any planned industrial action. This includes the date and duration of any such action. 

2. it is inappropriate and unprofessional for employees to discuss the merits of an industrial dispute with students or to involve them in any way in a dispute (for example, the distribution of handbills). 

3. all staff must continue to meet their obligations in relation to child safety and occupational health and safety.