IEU speaks
2026 August Newsmonth
Outgoing ACTU Secretary Sally McManus
IEU members across the country extend heartfelt thanks to ACTU Secretary Sally McManus and ACTU President Michele O’Neil following the announcement they will step down from their national union leadership roles.
Sally and Michele have made an incredible contribution to our nation and will leave a legacy of a stronger union movement and fairer Australia.
Outgoing ACTU President Michele O’Neil.
Their leadership will be felt for generations in the workplaces they improved and the rights they helped secure.
At a time when union membership is growing, and workers have won the most significant improvements to workplace rights in a generation, we celebrate the remarkable contributions of Sally and Michele.
Their ability to unite unions around a common purpose and to lead with conviction through challenging times has been truly extraordinary.
Beyond these achievements, what IEU members will remember most is their generosity and genuine care for union members across thousands of workplaces.
Whether standing alongside Catholic school staff on strike, supporting preschool teachers fighting for better pay and conditions, or inspiring delegates and activists at countless IEU events and training days, Sally and Michele always ensured IEU members were heard and valued.
IEU members particularly identified with Sally and Michele: professional, passionate and articulate women who represented a movement now strongest in female-dominated industries.
Sally and Michele welcomed new leaders with generosity and openness, helping to strengthen our movement for the future.
Our union looks forward to working with the ACTU and other affiliated unions in transitioning to a new ACTU leadership team and continuing the vital work of advancing workers’ rights.
Today, however, is a moment to celebrate two remarkable union careers.
Thank you, Sally. Thank you, Michele. To the IEU, you are cherished friends, valued allies and an enduring part of our proud union story.
Incoming ACTU Secretary Melissa Donnelly at the IEU Hear Our Voice rally in June 2022
The IEU is delighted to welcome incoming ACTU Secretary Melissa Donnelly.
The leadership of the Australian union movement is a pivotal role, and over the past nine years we have been fortunate to benefit from the remarkable leadership of ACTU Secretary Sally McManus, who will step down at the end of the month.
While Sally will be a hard act to follow, Melissa Donnelly is more than up to the task.
A fiercely determined and highly experienced union leader, Mel will take up the ACTU Secretary position unopposed after seven years leading the Community and Public Sector Union (CPSU).
A qualified lawyer, political campaigner and member-driven union leader, Mel has overseen a sustained period of growth in CPSU membership and collective bargaining success. Under her leadership, the CPSU has become one of the nation’s largest and most active unions.
IEU members will strongly identify with Mel, an articulate and values-driven leader from a female-dominated sector. The growth of unions such as the IEU and CPSU underscores the changing face of the Australian union movement, empowering professional workers who deliver essential education, care and public services across our community.
Our national union looks forward to continuing its strong contribution to the ACTU and working closely with Mel as she begins her term as Secretary in the coming weeks.