State school teachers have been left bewildered by a minor pay bump awarded to some in their ranks ahead of after-school rallies this week, as the union moved forward with plans for a second strike.

Thousands of teachers in select pay brackets were told in their payslips their remuneration would rise to the level of minimum award wages, rectifying a discrepancy that had emerged while their negotiations with the government stalled and minimum public sector wages went up by 3.5 per cent.

The change was forced by the Industrial Relations Commission’s decision to increase minimum wages and allowances in early September as part of its annual state wage case review.

The affected workers included teachers in band-one pay brackets – primarily those completing training – as well as those class

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