Victoria teachers strike: warning of further action as 35,000 rally and hundreds of schools cancel classes

Union leaders say Tuesday's protest in Melbourne's CBD was among state's biggest' in years

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Up to 35,000 striking teachers have rallied in Melbourne, with classes at about 500 public schools cancelled, as their union warns of further action in their fight for better pay and conditions.

In what unions described as the largest ever rally by Victorian teachers, an estimated 35,000 protesters created a sea of red that travelled from Trades Hall to the steps of parliament house in Melbourne on Tuesday.