Sally McManus and Michele O’Neil were the first all-female leadership team in the ACTU’s 99-year history and played a major role in shaping the Albanese government’s workplace agenda.
Photograph: Joel Carrett/AAP Sally McManus and Michele O’Neil were the first all-female leadership team in the ACTU’s 99-year history and played a major role in shaping the Albanese government’s workplace agenda.
Photograph: Joel Carrett/AAP PM praises Sally McManus and Michele O’Neil as ‘giants’ as they resign from ACTU Secretary and president of Australian Council of Trade Unions announced surprise departures on Monday evening Follow our Australia news live blog for latest updates Get our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcast The leadership of the trade union movement is set for a major shakeup after the secretary and president of the Australian Council of Trade Unions announced their surprise departures.
The ACTU’s secretary, Sally McManus, and its president, Michele O’Neil, revealed on Monday night they would be stepping down after eight years together.
Anthony Albanese described both as personal friends and “giants of the labour movement”.
The first all-female leadership team in the ACTU’s 99-year history, the influential pair played a major role in shaping the Albanese government’s workplace agenda.
Sign up for the Breaking News Australia emailThey successfully campaigned for the right to disconnect law, same job, same pay protections, wage theft criminalisation and ensuring minimum pay, insurance and safety standards for gig economy workers.
The ACTU recently began targeting Pauline Hanson, in a clear sign the union movement now considers One Nation – rather than the Coalition – the biggest political threat to Labor and economic risk for working people.
McManus will depart in August while O’Neil will help the new secretary settle in before leaving before the end of the year.
In a farewell video posted to social media on Monday night, the pair said it was time for renewal.
“Union membership is growing and workers have over 47 new workplace rights,” McManus said.
“But, of course, there are still big challenges with cost-of-living pressures, AI and billionaires who have too much wealth and power.” In a statement, the prime minister said McManus and O’Neil’s “tireless advocacy and strong leadership” had put working families “in a stronger financial position today than they would otherwise be”.
“It is fitting that Sally and Michele announce they’re stepping down from their respective positions at a time when there have been significant wage increases in critical and long-undervalued sectors, the gender pay gap is at a record low and union membership is growing for the first time in decades,” Albanese said.
Speaking on ABC radio on Tuesday morning, O’Neil said the pair were “very trusting of each other”, and that the union was in good shape.
O’Neil ruled out seeking a career as a politician but would not reveal what her next move would be. skip past newsletter promotion after newsletter promotion “I want to take a moment to breathe.
I know more about what I won’t do than what I will do, but that’s OK,” she said.
“I’m very happy to take some time to think about it.” The Greens’ leader, Larissa Waters, described them as a “powerful duo” and “strong voices for workers”.
“The union movement is strongest when it is bold, independent and willing to put workers’ rights ahead of vested interests.
Sally and Michele have embodied that spirit in their leadership pushing the Albanese Labor government to implement a minimum 25% tax on gas exports and for action to address the housing crisis,” she said.
“We are entering what could be the most challenging period for Australian workers in recent history.
“It will be the task of the ACTU’s new leadership to hold governments to account, demand a good living for workers and refuse to allow political parties to tinker and capitulate to vested interests.” Explore more on these topicsAustralian trade unions Australian politics Anthony Albanese Labor party news Share Reuse this content
