ACTU boss Sally McManus says she fears for her safety after threats from people associated with CFMEU

Sally McManus says she lives in multiple places and infrequently leaves home out of safety concerns arising from the isolation of the CFMEU.

ACTU Secretary Sally McManus. Picture: NewsWire / Nikki Short

The nation’s top union boss Sally McManus says she lives in multiple places and infrequently leaves home out of security concerns arising from the union movement’s isolation of the embattled Construction, Forestry, and Maritime Employees Union.

After allegations of criminal underworld links mounted against the CFMEU, the Australian Council of Trade Unions voted to suspend the embattled union. The Albanese government installed administrators to oversee parts of the union.

Last month, the Communications, Electrical and Plumbing Union – which has been a key ally of the CFMEU throughout the saga – voted to disaffiliate from the ACTU and called on other blue-collar unions to do the same.

Ms McManus said the problem with the construction industry was that there were “a lot of people in that industry – and some of them infiltrated the union – that are not good people”.

“I’ve got two black belts,” Ms McManus said, when asked whether she had to get extra personal security.

“I don’t go out much. I’ve had to change my routines. I live between different places. That’s life, unfortunately, at the moment, because we’re standing up to those people and that, you know, there’s a price to pay for that.”

She downplayed the scale of the breakaway movement led by CEPU: “if you’re generous, like six per cent of the whole union movement, it’s a small group of people”.

Thousands of union members take part in a protest rally after the CFMEU were forced to accept administration following allegations of criminal links and corruption. Photo: Darrian Traynor/Getty Images

Ms McManus also lashed one of the changes being pushed by the Australian Chamber of Commerce and Industry to change the definition of small business to 25 instead of 15 employees.

“We don’t think that just because of the size of your workplace, you should have less rights,” she told ABC RN. “And this expansion picks up a lot of people.”

Ms McManus said the Coalition had already expressed openness to various reforms spruiked by business groups.

“[Peter Dutton]’s already said they will take away workers’ right to disconnect, which is a right we all just got on the 26th of August, a brand new right,” she said.

“Already said that they want to make it harder to bargain, to get pay rises. Already said they want to allow the wage cutting scheme so people can lose pay rises and wages through labour hire. They’ve already said that they want to take choices and rights off casuals. So I reckon that this list will get even bigger by the time we get to whenever the election will be.”