Campaign director tapped to be next ACTU president

Australian fast-food worker and child care union organizer Emma Kingdon has been appointed as the next president of the Australian Council of Trade Unions (ACTU). Replacing Michele O Neil, Kingdon will assume the role in December, working closely with new ACTU secretary Melissa Donnelly. Kingdon has been with the ACTU for 10 years, serving as its national campaigns director during that time.

In her new position, she stated that securing greater rights at work is her top priority. She echoed a sentiment echoed by outgoing President O Neil, highlighting the struggle many workers face with rising living costs and stagnant wages. Kingdon's career began at a KFC outlet in Rockingham, Western Australia, where she joined the Small Business Union of Australia.

Her work has since spanned union organizing, advocating for workers affected by redundancy, and securing pay increases in the child care and aged care sectors. Before her appointment as CFMEU administration executive officer, Kingdon spent nine months working with the construction union following corruption allegations. Kingdon, from a working-class family, emphasized the importance of workers treating each other with dignity and respect, as well as being paid fairly and working in safe conditions.