Independent MPs Rob Oakeshott and Tony Windsor should be commended for putting jobs, business certainty and the economy first in deciding today not to support regressive amendments to the Fair Work Act, Business Council of Australia Chief Executive Jennifer Westacott said.

“Mr Oakeshott and Mr Windsor are absolutely right that less than four months before an election is not the right time to introduce major changes to workplace relations laws which would wind the clock back 30 years and be harmful to business competitiveness and jobs,” Ms Westacott said.

“We welcome Mr Oakeshott’s and Mr Windsor’s decision not to support the proposed expanded rights of union entry and access, which would do nothing to improve industry competitiveness and job prospects for Australian workers.

“The government should now drop any plans to reintroduce compulsory arbitration, which would usher back the bad old days of third party intervention and ambit claims which were common in the unproductive 1970s and 1980s.

“Changes to workplace relations laws shouldn’t be considered from the perspective of what is good for unions but what is good for the whole community, including jobs, competitiveness, and the strength of the economy.

“Australia’s key business groups have been united in asking the parliament to stand up for the national interest, and should the government proceed with these retrograde changes the rest of the parliament should follow Mr Oakeshott’s and Mr Windsor’s lead and reject them,” Ms Westacott said.

For further information contact:
Scott Thompson, Director, Media and Public Affairs
Business Council of Australia
Telephone (03) 8664 2664 | Mobile 0403 241 128