The Australian Greens thank Sally McManus and Michele O’Neil for their years of leadership and unwavering commitment to improving the lives of working Australians and to pushing for progressive reform.
Their tenure saw the ACTU lead the union movement in fearlessly advocating for workers, helping build campaigns that delivered real improvements to wages, rights, and workplace protections.
The Greens have proudly worked alongside the ACTU and the unions they represent to move the government and secure:
- marriage equality
- a fairer minimum wage
- protect climate funding from Coalition attacks
- the right to disconnect for workers
- stronger intractable bargaining laws
- criminal penalties for wage and super theft
- extending paid parental leave to 26 weeks
- the inclusion of super in paid parental leave
- paid family and domestic violence leave
- a positive duty for employers to prevent sexual harassment and discrimination
- pay increases for ECEC and aged care workers
As stated by Leader of the Australian Greens, Larissa Waters:
“Sally McManus and Michele O’Neil have been strong voices for workers who led the union movement with courage, principle and compassion. They have been a powerful duo for almost a decade, and I’m so proud to have had two strong women leading the union movement.
“The Greens are proud to have worked alongside the ACTU to stop governments putting the interests of big corporations ahead of people’s rights at work.
“We also proudly worked together on campaigns that changed lives, and remain very close to my heart. Extending Paid Parental Leave to 26 weeks and the inclusion of super, paid family and domestic violence leave, legislating a positive duty to prevent workplace sexual harassment and discrimination, and supporting the ECEC and aged care worker pay rises have all left women and all Australian workers better off.
“The union movement is strongest when it is bold, independent and willing to put workers’ rights ahead of vested interests. Sally and Michele have embodied that spirit in their leadership pushing the Albanese Labor government to implement a minimum 25% tax on gas exports.
“We are entering what could be the most challenging period for Australian workers in recent history. Workers are producing more wealth than ever before but corporate profits increasingly eat into their share of the pie, and AI threatens to widen this gap even further.
“It will be the task of the ACTU’s new leadership to hold governments to account, demand a good living for workers and refuse to allow political parties to tinker and capitulate to vested interests.
The Greens look forward to continuing our productive relationship with the ACTU under its future leadership, and wish Sally and Michele a wonderful next chapter after their incredible leadership.”
As stated by Australian Greens spokesperson for finance, employment and workplace relations, Senator Barbara Pocock:
“Sally McManus and Michele O’Neil leave behind a powerful legacy. They have fought hard to improve job security and address low pay. Their leadership has helped narrow the gender pay gap.
“They have led with conviction and set the stage for the next generation of strong union leaders.
“Personally, I have long admired their shared, steadfast commitment to collective solidarity, the principled way they have undertaken their leadership alongside each other, and especially their efforts to protect workers during COVID.”
