Labor has secured a resounding win in WA, and now unions want their dues.

The Maritime Union of Australia says West Australian Premier-elect Mark McGowan must make room for trade unions at his cabinet table.

The union says it played a key role in winning the state election for Labor by plugging McGowan’s anti-privatisation election promises and push for Australian jobs.

Mr McGowan says he is not beholden to unions, and will make decisions in the best interests of the state.

Maritime Union state secretary Chris Cain said Mr McGowan understood the role unions had played.

“We've delivered for them so it's not too much to expect them to deliver for working-class people,” Mr Cain told the ABC.

“When I say he owes us, I'm saying I'm part of the public as well as a unionist, but he owes the trade union movement because collectively together ... our members are very, very disciplined.

“I've got to say I went to a meeting a month ago and there was 200 volunteers going on the polling booths all around the state.”

The Electrical Trades Union (ETU) campaigned strongly with the Australian Services Union against the sale of state electricity utility Western Power, but the new premier says that is not why he won.

“No, the party won the election, and the hard work of the party and its supporters,” he told 6PR radio.

“And I appreciated the assistance of union volunteers and union campaigns in relation to the campaign, but I think the people of Western Australia voted in favour of the platform that WA Labor put forward.

“You'll see that I always act in the public interest and I think with the result that's occurred is a mandate for what I've had to say, and that is I'll act in the public interest, I'll always act ethically and we'll make decisions based on what's right for the future of the state.”

The state’s business sector hopes McGowan will be able to distance himself from the unions.

WA Chamber of Commerce and Industry (CCI) chief executive Deidre Willmott says the new government should take a fresh look at privatisation.

“We still believe some restructure of ownership of government assets will need to be part of the future, and we look forward to working with this government on what those plans might look like,” she said.

“We certainly won't see an immediate sale of 51 per cent of Western Power as had been proposed, but we still believe a Commission of Inquiry and a new treasurer at the helm in this government will need to take a fresh look.”

Labor has been left holding the bag, facing a budget blowout of $3 billion this financial year, and $1.5 billion in 2017-18, with state debt projected to hit $41.1 billion by mid-2020.

The Chamber of Commerce his hoping WA Labor will fulfil its pledge not to introduce new taxes or increase existing ones.