After nearly a decade at the helm, Sally McManus, arguably the most influential trade union leader in Australia, is preparing to step down from her demanding role as secretary of the Australian Council of Trade Unions (ACTU). Her tenure, which began with significant controversy, has been marked by persistent advocacy for workers’ rights and a reshaping of the nation’s industrial landscape.
When McManus first assumed leadership, her suggestion during a live television interview that union members were justified in contravening “unjust” industrial laws ignited a firestorm of criticism. This initial furore, however, merely foreshadowed the high-stakes, high-decibel environment in which she would operate for the next nine and a half years. Having dedicated 33 years to the union movement, with 22 of those in leadership positions, McManus is now ready to embrace a quieter chapter. “I’m looking forward to having a break,” she revealed to Guardian Australia, anticipating her departure at the end of the month. She emphasized the relentless nature of the job, stating, “It never stops.”
Her departure, announced last month, coincided with that of ACTU president Michele O’Neil, marking the end of the first all-female leadership team in the ACTU’s 99-year history. Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese lauded both women as “giants of the labour movement,” underscoring their profound impact.
Throughout her leadership, McManus has been a driving force behind a worker-friendly agenda, exerting considerable influence on the Albanese government and various businesses. Collaborating with O’Neil, she spearheaded campaigns advocating for critical reforms such as “same job, same pay” protections, the right to disconnect from work, the criminalization of wage theft, and the establishment of minimum pay, insurance, and safety standards for individuals working in the burgeoning gig economy.
Her period in office has spanned three different federal governments – Turnbull, Morrison, and Albanese – and witnessed significant economic upheaval, including the profound impact of the Covid-19 pandemic. She was a key figure in Labor’s jobs and skills summit and navigated ongoing allegations of corruption and lawlessness within certain union factions, notably the CFMEU. Just a year prior to her announcement, she participated in the productivity roundtable convened by Treasurer Jim Chalmers, demonstrating her continued engagement with national economic policy.
Among her most cherished achievements, McManus cites securing wage rises for low-paid workers, implementing support mechanisms for women and children affected by domestic violence, and bolstering essential industries such as early childhood education and aged care.
However, the prominence of her role has also brought considerable personal challenges. Since that inaugural ABC TV interview in March 2017, McManus has been subjected to intense scrutiny and hostility from critics, both online and in real life. She has endured death threats and vitriolic tirades, a dark facet of the job she has largely tried to disregard. She notes a significant escalation in such attacks, attributing it partly to the evolution of platforms like X (formerly Twitter) and the increasing monetization of social media. She lamented the loss of an era, just a decade ago, when social media could foster communities of like-minded individuals without the pervasive exposure to “all the horribleness.”
Despite her imminent departure, McManus believes the fight for workers’ rights is far from over. She highlights the rapidly changing nature of work, particularly the potential threats posed by artificial intelligence to employee rights. A long-time advocate for tax reform in Australia, she emphasizes the continued need for addressing intergenerational equity and providing support for vulnerable populations. She also identifies the growing political support for Pauline Hanson as a critical concern for the labor movement, cautioning that Hanson’s One Nation party would dismantle unfair dismissal laws if they ever gained power.
Looking ahead, McManus believes a four-day work week is a realistic future possibility. She posits that if AI indeed becomes a transformative force, potentially reducing the necessity for extensive human labor, individuals would still need to sustain themselves and participate meaningfully in society. Her proposed solution is to reduce working hours without a corresponding loss of pay, a change she believes Australia could genuinely implement.
Addressing the persistent allegations of criminal behavior and corruption within the CFMEU, McManus asserts that a succession of leaders within the controversial construction union betrayed their members. She states unequivocally that, at some point, certain CFMEU leaders in at least three states abandoned core union values, engaging in conduct unacceptable to the vast majority of unions. This experience, she explains, prompted the broader union movement to clearly define the boundaries that cannot be crossed, specifically citing corruption and violence.
As Victoria prepares for a royal commission into corruption related to the government’s Big Build infrastructure program, which is expected to include evidence pertaining to CFMEU activities, McManus remains forthright about the individuals involved. She declares, “I don’t consider them unionists. I don’t consider them to have union values. It’s easy for people to be performative unionists, to wear the gear and to sometimes talk the talk. [It’s] that much harder to walk the walk.”
The 55-year-old has no ambitions for a political career, instead planning to indulge in birdwatching and undergo surgery for a cochlear implant to address her hearing loss. She acknowledges the significant rehabilitation required for the procedure, expressing her commitment to giving herself the best possible chance of recovering as much of her hearing as she can. Melissa Donnelly, currently the national secretary of the Community and Public Sector Union, is set to succeed McManus as the ACTU secretary on August 31st.
