It could be two weeks before we know who will form Australia’s next government – an extraordinary situation most Australians have not experienced in their lifetime.
But regardless of which party eventually fills the Treasury benches in the House of Representatives, the major objective of the Your Rights at Work campaign has been met.
WorkChoices was one of the major issues of the election, and the YRAW campaign successfully ensured that both parties have committed to fair work laws.
In effect, we have secured the improvements to workplace rights gained since the abolition of WorkChoices.
While we believe that the interests of working people and their families would be best represented by a Labor Government, it is a significant achievement that we now have a national consensus on a fair workplace system.
Australians believe fundamentally in a system that delivers a strong workplace safety net, job security and good workplace conditions.
This campaign by our members and unions around Australia has shown that wages, conditions and respect at work are key political issues.
There is absolutely no doubt that the efforts of the thousands of Rights at Work volunteers had an impact on this election.
From day one, Tony Abbott was forced to recant on his previous adherence to hardline, WorkChoices-style policies.
Remember “WorkChoices is dead, buried and cremated”?
He was forced to abandon his previous public commitments to individual contracts, to cutting protections from unfair dismissal, and to winding back the award safety net.
The pressure never let up on Tony Abbott, and he finished the campaign as he started: rejecting the policies of deregulated labour markets that have been a central plank of Liberal philosophy since the party was founded.
The resounding message to the Liberal Party was that Australians care about a fair workplace system.
This is an historic achievement and testimony to the unity, discipline, commitment and breadth of the Your Rights at Work campaign.
Throughout the election campaign, Your Rights at Work sought more clarity from the Liberals about workplace relations.
The ACTU wrote to Tony Abbott seeking assurances on his plans, we launched a search for his missing IR spokesman, Eric Abetz, and we do remain concerned that to date we have not seen a detailed IR policy from the Coalition.
There remain major workplace rights, including protection from unfair dismissal, individual contracts and award rates of pay and conditions that are not fully protected by legislation and which could be eroded by a Coalition Government.
We continue to harbour deep suspicions about Mr Abbott’s promises, given his character trait of going back on what he has previously said. We will hold him fully accountable for his promises.
But at this stage we have no choice but to take on face value statements such as:
“We have no plans, not now, not in three years time, not after that, to change the legislation in any way, shape or form to reflect WorkChoices.” (Interview with MTR Radio, 19 July)
Whoever forms Government, the Your Rights at Work campaign will continue on behalf of Australia’s 1.9 million union members and 10 million workers to hold that government to account for its workplace policies.
It will be vigilant to ensure that industrial relations laws do not go backwards, and to further advance our rights at work.
There are other areas where the campaign continues as well.
At stake at this election was the future of superannuation and tax policy, investment in Australian industries and jobs, better protection of employee entitlements, and the delivery of health and education to working families.
The next few days will determine the shape of the next Australian Government.
But whatever happens, rights at work are now cemented as a core Australian value.
Ged Kearney is President of the ACTU
R@W News is a forum for news, analysis and commentary about rights at work and related issues. The opinions presented in R@W News are those of the author, and do not necessarily represent policies or views of the ACTU.