The Australian Council of Trade Unions is standing strong behind the Labor Party for the upcoming Federal election.

The ALP has promised to protect penalty rates, make the minimum wage a living wage and protect workers’ rights if they are victorious in the election.

Construction, Forestry, Maritime, Mining and Energy Union official Simon Stokes said that the unions would put up a fight.

“We’re used to fighting. We’re tired. It’s been a long fight.”

Union workers are hoping a Labor victory will encourage more money to go into workers’ pockets, rather than to larger companies.

“The percentage of profit that actually got returned to workers 30 years ago was 58 per cent. It’s now 46 per cent and dropping,” Mr Stokes said.

According to the Australian Unions’ website, Labor is committed to ensuring that labour hire workers are paid the same wage for doing the same job as permanent employees.

“The union movement has a clear commitment from one side of politics.

“[Labor] will put in place labour hire regulations to make sure that people doing the same job are paid the same rate, first of all and to put in place a limit to how long someone can be employed through labour hire before they must be offered a permanent position,” said Mr Stokes.

The Labor party was founded by trade unions which were seeking a place in the government in the 1890s.