29/07/2026
The CPSU congratulates Sally McManus and Michele O'Neil on their outstanding leadership.
Sally McManus and Michele O’Neil have announced they will step down after leading the ACTU together for eight years and making an extraordinary contribution to the union movement and to Australia.
Sally and Michele have led the movement through a period of enormous challenge and significant achievement. Their leadership helped steer working people through a global pandemic, rebuild the political power of the union movement, and secure major improvements to workplace rights.
The CPSU also recognises the historic significance of Sally and Michele’s tenure as the ACTU’s first all-woman leadership team. Their leadership has demonstrated the strength of women in our movement and helped deliver substantial progress, including on equal pay, wages in the care economy, and paid family and domestic violence leave.
CPSU Federal Secretary, Stewart Little, said Sally and Michele had always understood that lasting change was won through the collective strength of working people.
“Sally and Michele have provided principled, determined, and courageous leadership to our movement. They took on corporate interests, hostile governments, and those who sought to erode workers’ rights,” Mr Little said.
“Under their leadership, unions have won substantial improvements for millions of workers and union membership has begun growing again.
“Wins like paid family and domestic violence are not only historic workplace victories, but they have saved lives and will continue to save lives.
“Sally and Michele’s leadership has helped build a stronger, more united and more confident movement, ready to face the challenges ahead.
“On behalf of CPSU members across the country, I thank Sally and Michele for their solidarity, their leadership, and their service to working people.
“We wish them both every success in the next chapter and we look forward to continuing the fight for a fairer Australia alongside the next generation of ACTU leaders.”
