Melissa Donnelly

Melissa Donnelly is the National Secretary of the Community and Public Sector Union (CPSU), an Australian trade union with coverage of more than 198,000[1] Commonwealth Public Servants, as well as those in the Northern Territory Public Service and the ACT Public Service.[2][3] is the CPSU's youngest ever national secretary, as well as the third woman and the first working mother to hold the role.[4] Donnelly is also a member of the National Executive of the Australian Labor Party.[5]

Melissa Donnelly speaking at a CPSU Governing Council Meeting
CPSU National Secretary Melissa Donnelly speaking at a CPSU Governing Council Meeting

Donnelly was first elevated to the role, following tenure in the union's legal and industrial relations team and its Executive Committee, when former National Secretary Nadine Flood resigned for health reasons in 2019.[6][7] Donnelly was most recently reelected to the position in December 2023.[8]

Under Donnelly's leadership of the union, its membership declined by more than 9% between 2019 and 2022[9][10]. Between 2022 and 2025 Australian Public Service employee numbers grew by more than 16%, leading to the absolute number of CPSU members increasing to be about 4% higher in 2025 than when Donnelly assumed leadership[11][12]. However CPSU density continues to decline, in line with broader trends in the Australian trade union movement since the 1980s[13].

CPSU (PSU Group) membership and APS staff numbers between 2013 and 2025.
Date CSPU (PSU) membership APS employee numbers Approximate APS union density (%)*
30 June 2018 46,778[14] 150,258[1] 31.1
30 June 2019 44,579[9] 146,758 30.4
30 June 2020 44,500[15] 150,363 29.6
30 June 2021 43,039[16] 153,571 28.0
30 June 2022 40,654[10] 159,179 25.5
30 June 2023 Data not found 170,086
30 June 2024 44,864[11] 184,858 24.3
30 June 2025 46,306[12] 198,529 23.3

(*) Note that the PSU Group covers some employees outside of the APS (for example, the Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation, the territory public services and privatised government businesses), so the true APS union member density will be slightly less than shown in the last column of the table.

Following the COVID-19 pandemic, Donnelly was responsible for championing a "groundbreaking" Work from home deal with the Australian Public Sector Commission in 2023 which allows public sector employees to seek unlimited working from home flexibility arrangements.[17][18][19]

Donnelly will become the next secretary of the ACTU following the resignation of Sally McManus from the Australian Council of Trade Unions (ACTU) on 31 August 2026.[20]

References

  1. 1 2 Australian Public Service Commission (30 June 2025). "The Australian Public Service Employment Database". APS Employment Data 30 June 2025. Retrieved 16 November 2025.
  2. ↑ "CPSU Media centre". www.cpsu.org.au. Retrieved 1 February 2024.
  3. ↑ Tribune, The National (10 October 2019). "New CPSU National Secretary appointed". The National Tribune. Retrieved 1 February 2024.
  4. ↑ Director, Institute; giwl@anu.edu.au (4 June 2021). "Melissa Donnelly". Global Institute for Women's Leadership. Retrieved 1 February 2024.
  5. ↑ "National Executive". www.alp.org.au. Retrieved 20 December 2025.
  6. ↑ Easton, Stephen (10 October 2019). "Melissa Donnelly appointed acting Community and Public Sector Union national secretary". The Mandarin. Retrieved 1 February 2024.
  7. ↑ "'Expect us to be a champion': CPSU appoints youngest ever national secretary". The Canberra Times. 13 October 2019. Retrieved 1 February 2024.
  8. ↑ "CPSU 'voted for unity' with national president chosen". The Canberra Times. 13 December 2023. Retrieved 1 February 2024.
  9. 1 2 CPSU (11 December 2019). "Operating Report 2018-19 Community and Public Sector Union" (PDF). Fair Work Commission. Retrieved 19 June 2026.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  10. 1 2 CPSU (9 December 2022). "Operating Report 2021-22 Community and Public Sector Union" (PDF). Fair Work Commission. Retrieved 19 June 2026.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  11. 1 2 CPSU (23 January 2025). "Operating Report 2023-24" (PDF). Fair Work Commission. Retrieved 19 June 2026.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  12. 1 2 CPSU (8 December 2025). "Operating Report 2024-25" (PDF). Fair Work Commission. Retrieved 19 June 2026.
  13. ↑ "Union membership slumps to a new low". Australian Financial Review. 14 December 2022. Retrieved 2 February 2024.
  14. ↑ CPSU (12 March 2019). "Operating Report 2017-18 Community and Public Sector Union" (PDF). Fair Work Commission. Retrieved 19 June 2026.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  15. ↑ CPSU (8 December 2020). "Operating Report 2019-20 Community and Public Sector Union" (PDF). Fair Work Commission. Retrieved 19 June 2026.
  16. ↑ CPSU (10 December 2021). "Operating Report 2020-21 Community and Public Sector Union" (PDF). Fair Work Commission. Retrieved 19 June 2026.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  17. ↑ "Work-from-home deal 'groundbreaking', but business groups warn of CBD 'death knell'". ABC News. 13 July 2023. Retrieved 2 February 2024.
  18. ↑ "Public sector agrees to uncapped WFH days". Australian Financial Review. 11 July 2023. Retrieved 2 February 2024.
  19. ↑ Thompson, Angus (9 April 2023). "The WFH deal that challenges the future of office culture". The Sydney Morning Herald. Retrieved 2 February 2024.
  20. ↑ Kelly, Cait (10 August 2026). "New head of Australian trade union movement named after Sally McManus steps down". Guardian Australia. Archived from the original on 10 August 2026. Retrieved 11 August 2026.


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