ACTU secretary Sally McManus to step down August 31

Australian Council of Trade Unions (ACTU) secretary Sally McManus will resign on August 31, officials said, ending a nine-and-a-half-year tenure at the peak union body.

The announcement also coincides with the departure of ACTU president Michele O’Neil, officials said, marking the end of the organisation’s first all-female leadership team in its 99-year history.

Leadership transition set for late August

Officials said Melissa Donnelly will become ACTU secretary Officials said Melissa Donnelly will become ACTU secretary after August 31. Donnelly is currently secretary of the Community and Public Sector Union. McManus said she does not intend to enter electoral politics. She said she plans to focus on her personal health and pursue private interests after leaving the role. McManus era spanned multiple federal governments Officials said the leadership change follows a period in which McManus led the ACTU through successive federal governments, including the Turnbull, Morrison, and Albanese administrations.

Australian Council

During that span, officials said her office was closely involved in debates and changes affecting industrial relations policy, including shifts to workplace rules and how those rules are enforced.

Workplace law changes linked to ACTU priorities

Officials pointed to several major legislative developments that aligned with the ACTU’s agenda while McManus served as secretary. They cited measures including making wage theft a criminal offence, establishing same-job-same-pay protections, and creating minimum standards for gig economy workers.

The ACTU said its emphasis under McManus included lifting wage growth in lower-paid parts of the economy. Officials said that focus was paired with a broader push for reforms shaping how some types of work are regulated, including platform-based roles in the gig economy.

Campaign spotlight on early childhood education and aged care Officials said the union movement repeatedly highlighted pay and conditions in early childhood education and aged care. The ACTU described these sectors as central to campaigning connected to its focus on outcomes for lower-paid workers.

The dual leadership change comes as public discussion continues over union governance and accountability. Officials said McManus’s departure follows heightened scrutiny of internal union governance, including allegations of corruption within the CFMEU.

Officials said McManus has publicly separated the broader labour movement from the conduct alleged in the CFMEU claims. She has said ethical standards are a core expectation for union leadership, officials said.

Officials added that no additional details were provided in the announcement about steps beyond the leadership succession. With both the ACTU secretary and president departing at the same time, attention is likely to remain on continuity at the top of the organisation, given the secretary’s role in workplace law debates, wage-setting, and employment standards.