Employers have warned the unions’ push would undermine productivity reforms of the past 30 years and could threaten the viability of firms in sectors like aged care.
Australian Chamber of Commerce and Industry CEO Andrew McKellar cautioned sector-wide bargaining would reverse the Hawke-Keating reforms.“If we’re talking about industry-wide bargaining replacing enterprise bargaining, then that really does jeopardise the relationship between employers and employees, the ability to bargain in good faith,” Mr McKellar told ABC Radio National on Thursday.
Australian Industry Group chief executive Innes Willox said that both sides needed to “work together on sensible reform; not reimpose union led industry-wide bargaining”. ACTU secretary Sally McManus has declared enterprise bargaining fixes will not be enough to lift sluggish wage growth and that sector-wide bargaining, sitting alongside enterprise bargaining and industry awards, could expand coverage of the workforce.
Mr Willox agreed that “we can, and must, make it much easier for small employers to engage in enterprise bargaining that enables agreements to be relevant to the genuine needs of the business and the employees”.
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