Sally McManus, secretary of the Australian Council of Trade Unions (ACTU), and president Michele O'Neil announced Monday they will resign from their positions. Both leaders indicated their intention to step down before the close of the year, stating a desire to 'make way for a new generation'.
McManus, who was elected in 2017, plans to leave at the end of August. O'Neil, elected in 2018, will remain for a few additional months to aid in the transition to new leadership. Their tenure represents the longest leadership of the ACTU, an organization representing numerous trade unions, in nearly six decades.
The decision to step down was made to allow sufficient time for union factions to select and install new leadership before the 2027 ACTU Congress. McManus cited recent sudden hearing loss in her left ear, which has affected her ability to work, as a reason for leaving a few months earlier than O'Neil. She is scheduled to undergo a cochlear implant later this year.
During their time leading the ACTU, McManus and O'Neil's achievements include securing minimum pay for gig workers, strengthening gender pay equity laws, and successfully opposing the Morrison government's 2020 industrial relations bill.
Transport Workers' Union national secretary Michael Kaine described McManus and O'Neil as significant figures in the union movement, leaving behind an 'incredible legacy'.
McManus expressed plans for a break, including bird watching, before considering future roles. She identified artificial intelligence, the rise of the far-right, the influence of billionaires in politics, and declining living standards as key challenges for unions to address. Both leaders stated they have no interest in pursuing careers in politics.