Industrial Action Update

As you may be aware, the AEU has indicated it intends to take 6 forms of action commencing Monday 20 April 2026.

The proposed actions are set out below, together with the department’s recommended actions:

a) 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 and are adjacent to employees’ hours of attendance; or have been agreed under clause 24(5)(b) of the Victorian Government Schools Agreement 2022;

Action: meetings will continue to run meetings as planned, noting that some members of the AEU may not attend.

d) A ban on responding to emails from the Department of Education except emails that relate to child safety matters; occupational health and safety matters; and employee entitlements matters;

Action: all staff must continue to meet their obligations in relation to child safety and occupational health and safety. This includes employees’ reporting obligations, regardless of an employees’ participation in the industrial action, consistent with the exception noted in the AEU’s notification of action.

e) A ban on implementing any new Department programs and/or initiatives;

Action: N/A – the department has no plans to implement new programs and/or initiatives in Term 2, 2026.

f) A ban on all aspects of work related to the provision of written comments on student reports that will be provided to parents.

Action: parents/carers will be advised that written comments are not provided as a result of industrial action taken by the AEU. As part of the reduction in administrative workload, the department are currently developing consistent reporting templates for all schools. As part of the Disability Inclusion policy guidelines we will still be required to report progress against ILP goals using our goal bank progression statements. 

Further Stop Work Action

The AEU has indicated it may call on members to take area-based half-day stop work action commencing Monday 4 May 2026. The department continues to negotiate with the AEU and will provide further advice in relation to this action only if, closer to the time, it appears likely that stop work action may occur. The advice will be similar to what we have provided earlier to manage stop work action that occurred last term.

Please note actions a, b and c has not been included as they relate to Principal Class Officers only. N.B. The APF are continuing to bargain on the next enterprise agreement but are not currently participating in the industrial action with the AEU.