Politics with Michelle Grattan: Sally McManus on how AI could force future cuts to HECS debts and work hours
The outgoing union leader said that beyond the new Victorian royal commission, ‘a lot more needs to be done’ to fight corruption in construction Australia-wide.
Australian Council of Trade Union (ACTU) secretary Sally McManus discussed her resignation and the potential impact of artificial intelligence (AI) on future job cuts and HECS debts in the podcast interview. The top two union leaders, Sally McManus and Michelle O'Neil, announced their impending departures at the end of the year.
McManus expressed concerns about falling real wages and cost-of-living pressures as the primary challenges for her successor, but also highlighted AI as a significant issue that could lead to stronger government intervention if necessary.
McManus proposed that unions might demand shorter working hours for no loss of pay as a way to distribute the benefits of reduced workloads. She also suggested potential government actions to assist displaced workers, such as free training and possibly exempting them from HECS debts if their positions were eliminated due to AI. The union leader noted that while some redundancies have occurred in tech companies, it is unclear whether AI will cause widespread job losses in other sectors.
McManus's experiences in the construction industry, including violent incidents and alleged corruption, led her to call for the resignation of a CFMEU Victorian secretary in 2019. She faced threats to her safety and had to take time away from Melbourne to stay safe. Despite the challenges, she decided not to back down and vowed to continue fighting for workers' rights, even if it meant facing more threats.
Written by urgent.news from The Conversation AU's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — it may contain errors, so check the original before relying on it.
