ACTU secretary Dave Oliver has played down internal concerns about the trade union movement's plan to build a multimillion-dollar campaign war chest to fight the Abbott government.
Two unions - the Australian Workers' Union and the Rail, Tram and Bus Union - are said to be critical of a $2 increase in affiliation fees that will help raise $13 million ahead of the next federal election.
Yet when the funding motion was put to the ACTU Congress in Melbourne on Wednesday, there were no dissenting voices.
"The decision was taken and it is very clear that this congress has backed this plan for the next three years," Mr Oliver told reporters on Thursday.
The campaigning strategy includes a greater focus on the regions, with no spending on major television advertising, unlike the Your Rights at Work campaign in 2007.
Lessons had been learnt since then, especially given the emergence of social media, Mr Oliver said.
"We can have a lot more effective, targeted advertising," he said.
The campaign will target 35 marginal seats with 21 organisers embedded in the field.
Mr Oliver said "solid initiatives" had come out of the congress, including a greater push for domestic violence leave.
The movement's claim for 10 days paid leave won the support of Australian of the Year Rosie Batty on the first day of the gathering.
The congress committed to working with businesses to oppose the federal government's proposed changes to paid parental leave.
Delegates also put pressure on federal Labor by calling for the reservation of 20 per cent of natural gas for domestic use as a way of driving down prices and saving jobs.
A push for a national corruption commission was also supported.
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