The return of a majority Labor Government is not just the result of a positive and well-articulated agenda – it’s the product of months of hard work by union members, delegates, and families across the country who stood up to defend workers’ rights, a feature ultimately recognised as key to addressing the cost of living.
Acting as one, the union movement came together across all states and territories to deliver the impactful Don’t Risk Dutton campaign which ultimately played a decisive role in shaping the outcome of this election. The more Australians came to know him, the less they liked him – this held true in his home electorate of Dickson that voted decisively.
From phone banks to workplace conversations, street stalls to social media, union voices carried a clear message: workers could not afford a Dutton Liberal government that had made clear its intentions to undermine workplace rights and conditions.
Since coming to office in 2022, Labor has delivered significant industrial reforms – real changes won through pressure and persistence from the union movement. These include the Secure Jobs, Better Pay Act, stronger protections for workplace delegates, and the closing of loopholes too long exploited by big employers.
These wins are all the more critical in the current cost-of-living crisis. With real wages finally moving after a decade of stagnation, and gender pay equity now a legislated objective, Labor’s reforms are helping lift standards for workers across industries. But without the ongoing work of unions like ours on the job and across the industry, these gains are fragile and under threat.
The Don’t Risk Dutton campaign wasn’t about party politics — it was about defending the rights union members have fought for decades to win. It worked – but only because of the power of organised workers: delegates who spoke to colleagues, members who shared their stories and families who knocked on doors.
This election is a victory for working people – but it must not be taken for granted. It’s a reminder that politics is never neutral for workers. We must stay vigilant, united, and ready to keep pushing for better. Because when unions organise, workers win.
