Workers rights are on the line at the federal election, with new-found workplace protections at risk of being axed, the peak union body claims.
The Australian Council of Trade Unions has called on Peter Dutton to clarify his party's position on industrial relations laws, warning that 'same job same pay', multi-employer bargaining and the right to disconnect are at risk if the coalition is elected.
"This election, it is wages that are at risk," ACTU president Michele O'Neil told the National Press Club on Wednesday.
Repealing workplace protections was on the wishlist of the Australian Chamber of Commerce and Industry and other employer lobby groups, Ms O'Neil said.
"Where does Peter Dutton stand?" she asked.
"The Australian people deserve to know.
"Let's be clear: what is at risk is wages growth, pay rises for 12 million working Australians and the people who depend on them."
The coalition has not explicitly promised to repeal legislation like 'same job same pay' and multi-employer bargaining but has promised to review the suite of industrial relations laws passed by the government and revert the definition of casual employment if elected.
"These are unnecessary laws that’re adding more complexity to our system, rather than removing it," opposition finance spokeswoman Jane Hume told ABC's Insiders program in September.
Repealing the laws is exactly what the government should do, no matter which party is in charge following the election, ACCI chief executive Andrew McKellar said.
Excessive red tape and restrictions were placing a burden on businesses and constraining productivity and economic growth, making both employers and employees worse off.
"Our workplace relations system should encourage enterprise, not hinder it," Mr McKellar said.
"That means, firstly, simplifying small business regulation.
"To achieve economic prosperity, we need a broader strategy that drives productivity and strengthens our global competitiveness."
Mr McKellar called for the definition of a small business increased from 15 employees, so companies with 25 employees or fewer could benefit from less restrictive regulation.
"That would free many small businesses from excessive red tape and allow them to grow and create jobs," he said.
The mining industry has been at the forefront of the fight over same job same pay, with iron ore giant BHP arguing to the Fair Work Commission that the laws should not impact its ability to use its in-house labour hire firm.
Industrial relations laws have particularly impacted the mining industry, threatening Australia's economic resilience and productivity, says the sector's peak lobby group.
"The mining sector has operated for years under a framework that encourages flexibility, rewards hard work and delivers strong wages," Minerals Council of Australia chair Andrew Michelmore said in a speech to the Melbourne Mining Club.
"Yet now, we are seeing a concerted effort to dismantle this system, dragging us back to an era of strikes, inefficiency and industrial confrontation.
"If the government wants sustained wage growth and long-term investment, it cannot be designing an IR system that increases costs and uncertainty, making both harder to achieve."
