Key facts
- Melissa Donnelly has been elected as the new head of the Australian trade union movement.
- Donnelly succeeds Sally McManus, who is stepping down.
- Donnelly previously served as the national secretary of the Community and Public Sector Union (CPSU).
- Her appointment follows the resignation of McManus and Michele O’Neil from the Australian Council of Trade Unions (ACTU).
- Donnelly's leadership at the CPSU focused on flexible working arrangements and parental leave.
- Public Service Minister Katy Gallagher congratulated Donnelly on her new role.
Melissa Donnelly has been elected as the new national secretary of the Australian Council of Trade Unions (ACTU), taking over from Sally McManus. Donnelly, 44, previously served as the national secretary of the Community and Public Sector Union (CPSU) for seven years.
Her appointment follows the decision by both McManus and ACTU secretary Michele O’Neil to step down after eight years leading the organisation, marking the end of the ACTU's first all-female leadership team. Donnelly, who began her career as a lawyer, was elected by the ACTU executive.
During her leadership of the CPSU, membership grew by 23%. Key achievements included advocating for flexible working arrangements, securing 18 weeks of paid parental leave for both parents, and campaigning against the outsourcing of government work. The CPSU also recently took the tax office to the Fair Work Commission over alleged violations of "same job same pay" laws.
Public Service Minister Katy Gallagher congratulated Donnelly, highlighting their close collaboration in rebuilding the public service. Sally McManus expressed her full support for Donnelly, describing her as "smart, strategic and completely focused on the needs of working people" and a representative of "generational change".