Updated March 16, 2017 01:14:02

The Federal Government has savaged comments from the new head of Australia's union movement, who says she supports breaking the law in some cases.

Sally McManus was yesterday elected secretary of the Australian Council of Trade Unions (ACTU).

In an interview with 7.30, Ms McManus defended law-breaking by the construction union, the CFMEU, and said some industrial laws should be disregarded.

"I believe in the rule of law, when the law is fair and the law is right," she said.

"But when it's unjust, I don't think there's a problem with breaking it."

Ms McManus said many CFMEU fines were for unlawful industrial action following workplace deaths.

"It might be illegal industrial action according to our current laws, and our current laws are wrong," she said.

"It shouldn't be so hard for workers in our country to be able to take industrial action when they need to."

Bill Shorten urged to reject McManus's comments

LNP frontbencher James McGrath said the comments were outrageous.

"The rule of law is not a smorgasbord to be picked at will," Senator McGrath said.

"It's the entire underpinning of our legal system, indeed of our society.

"I'm sure people disagree with the speed limit on certain roads, but they obey the speed limit.

"Taken to the extreme, what she is saying is that the union movement and the unions are not going to obey the rule of law in this country and that is a disgrace."

Employment Minister Michaelia Cash called on Labor Leader Bill Shorten to repudiate the remarks.

"This is an extraordinary admission by a newly minted union leader that she believes she is above the law and that unions can pick and choose when they obey the law and when they do not," Senator Cash said in a statement.

"If [Mr Shorten] does not immediately and unequivocally reject Ms McManus's comments, he supports them."

The Federal Opposition has been contacted for comment.

Topics: unions, work, government-and-politics, federal-government, australia

First posted March 16, 2017 01:11:42