Veteran union chief Sally McManus to step down and pursue birdwatching

Sally McManus confirmed she will step down as secretary of the Australian Council of Trade Unions at the close of August, handing the role to Community and Public Sector Union national secretary Melissa Donnelly. Her tenure of nine and a half years saw major pushes for same-job-same-pay rules, the right to disconnect, criminalisation of wage theft and minimum standards for gig-economy workers, influencing three successive governments.

McManus, who first faced intense criticism after a 2017 interview, said the constant online hostility has intensified over the past decade. She warned that AI could threaten employee rights and advocated for a future four-day work week with unchanged pay. Looking ahead, she plans to focus on personal health, including a cochlear-implant operation, and to spend time birdwatching, while ruling out a move into politics.