Emma Kingdon has been elected as the incoming president of the ACTU, replacing the outgoing Michele O'Neil.
The 38-year-old will formally begin the role in December, where she will work closely alongside new ACTU secretary Melissa Donnelly.
Ms Kingdon has been at the peak union body for 10 years, during which time she worked as its national campaigns director
The new president said securing greater rights at work remained her top priority for the role.
"Too many workers are having to look at their budgets and wondering what else they can cut because the system feels rigged when your pay can't keep up with the cost of living," she said.
"Across the country, unions are building strength and winning on the things that matter."
Ms Kingdon's working life began with a job at the Rockingham KFC, southwest of Perth, where she soon joined the SDA union.
Future roles came as a union organiser for the United Workers Union and the Finance Sector Union.
Those roles led to her pressing the case for workers made redundant at NAB, as well as helping to secure pay rises for workers in child care and aged care sectors.
Ms Kingdon has also spent the past nine months as the executive officer of the CFMEU administration, which has been tasked with cleaning up the construction union following corruption allegations.
"The power to change things comes from us – working people sticking together. It is what has made our country great, when we put aside our differences and support each other, we win great things like Medicare, wage rises and our rights at work," she said.
"I come from a working-class family in Rockingham in WA and I get how hard it is to make ends meet."
Ms O'Neil gave praise to her successor, saying she has been a formidable campaigner.
"I am confident that I am leaving the role of president in very good hands," she said.
"Emma expects workers to be able to turn up to work and be treated with dignity and respect, get paid fairly and have safe and good working conditions."
16°C