“The Fair Work Amendment Bill 2014 makes a start on addressing the changes to workplace relations laws that are essential if we are to turn Australia’s rising job losses and economic uncertainty into jobs growth and opportunity”, Business Council of Australia Chief Executive Jennifer Westacott said.

“Outdated and inefficient regulation is throttling Australia’s businesses – small, medium and large – and our flawed workplace relations laws, which are a throwback to the past, are one of the chief culprits,” Ms Westacott said.

“With job losses mounting in the economy and the immediate future very uncertain, the parliament has to face up to the fact that our restrictive workplace laws are slowing the capacity of businesses to respond to changing circumstances and are making job creation harder,” she said.

“The release of today’s Bill is an important first step in reforming our workplace laws to be a better fit for a more productive and competitive economy, but more changes are needed to ensure a system that works for all workplaces and all workers.

“The BCA will review the Bill to ensure the detail of the final legislation does not have any unintended consequences.

“The Productivity Commission review of the Fair Work Act provides another opportunity to identify the further reforms that will be needed to ensure we have a workplace relations system for the future,” she said.

Action Plan for Enduring Prosperity: Realising the Potential of People and Workplaces (July 2013)