Amidst a period of significant change, Australia’s formidable union leaders have chosen to step aside after nearly ten years at the helm, citing the need for fresh leadership to navigate the ongoing challenges within the labor movement.
Sally McManus, who has served as the secretary of the Australian Council of Trade Unions (ACTU) since 2017, and Michele O’Neil, its president since 2018, have decided to make room for new voices within the organization.
On Monday, the duo announced their decision to vacate their roles, aiming to empower a younger generation to “propel the movement forward.”
The announcement signals an imminent leadership transition, though no successors have been appointed yet.
“The union affiliates of the ACTU will select the upcoming leadership team,” they outlined in a statement, noting that the ACTU Executive will temporarily fill the positions. The new leaders will ultimately be elected at next year’s congress, a momentous occasion that will mark the ACTU’s centennial celebration.
McManus will finish in the role at the end of August, while O’Neil will depart before the end of the year to ”assist with the leadership transition”.
While the pair have been praised for their work in securing deals for workers, the ACTU has been plagued by difficulties after alleged infiltration of criminals in the Construction, Forestry and Maritime Employees Union (CMFEU).
In 2024, McManus denied she knew of any of the behaviour in the Victorian branch, and also oversaw the ACTU’s suspension of CFMEU divisions while it sorted itself out.
It was “essential” the sector emerged from that turbulent period under new leadership, O’Neil told ABC RN on Tuesday.
“Workers who work in the construction industry around this country, by and large, are hardworking, good people who work in tough and dangerous jobs, and they deserve a great union,” she said.
“They deserve a union that is completely free of any violence or corruption or organised crime,” she said.
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese thanked the pair for their “tireless advocacy” for workers, and their support to him personally.
“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”, he said in a statement.