VICTORIAN teachers are set to begin protected industrial action after negotiations with the state government broke down.

The Australian Education Union today said it would make an application to Fair Work Australia for a protected action ballot on behalf of Victorian public school teachers and principals.

AEU Victoria branch president Mary Bluett said that after eight months of negotiations on salaries, class sizes, workload and contract employment no progress had been made.

"The government must honour its pre-election commitment to increase our ability to attract and retain quality teachers in this state," she said.

"A 2.5 (per cent) pay rise when the cost of living is running at around three per cent is affectively a pay cut."