30,000 teachers strike but resolution in pay dispute close Thousands of teachers march to Parliament. A RESOLUTION to the teachers' pay dispute appears to be edging closer despite unprecedented strike action across Victoria. Families face a fresh round of school disruptions as the dispute drags on. But a proposed 48-hour stop-work, which would have hit NAPLAN testing, has been quashed. More than 30,000 teachers and support staff walked off the job yesterday - forgoing pay. Teaching Profession Minister Peter Hall said the Government was disappointed the strike had gone ahead in the middle of negotiations and wanted the dispute resolved as soon as possible. He said there had been six meetings and there would be another two next week. "We have made good progress in recent weeks and I think there's every chance, with goodwill on both sides, to find a resolution sooner rather than later," Mr Hall said. Kerry Rosser, Alison Wishart and Lyn McVay at Hisense Arena. Yesterday would have been better spent in negotiations instead of inconveniencing families, he said. Teachers voted to schedule a new round of half-day rolling regional stoppages from Term 2. They will include rallies, marches andleaftlet distribution. The existing ban on overtime and a political campaign targeting Coalition seats will continue. A proposed stop-work on May 15-16 was rejected. Australian Education Union Victorian president Meredith Peace revealed the Government was refusing to budge on its 2.5 per cent-a-year pay offer. "The Baillieu Government needs to realise if they don't offer something fair, if they don't respect and value the work of teachers and other staff in our schools, then we will keep campaigning," she said. More than 10,000 teachers filled Hisense Arena to capacity, with thousands more outside, before marching to Parliament. Hundreds more rallied at Mildura. There were no classes at about 330 public schools although casual relief teachers supervised students who attended. Point Cook senior teacher Alison Wishart said the action wasn't just about pay but class sizes and unpaid overtime. "We do not like spending days away from our students, but without this nothing is going to happen," she said.