With the global economy faltering the Productivity Commission is right to warn of the risks of unintended consequences of overreaching on workplace reform, Business Council chief executive Jennifer Westacott said.

“In the face of global economic uncertainty our great strength is record low unemployment, so we have to tread carefully on reforms that could put it at jeopardy.

“We agree with the Productivity Commission that our focus should be on sensible changes to fix the Better Off Overall System and restore the bargaining system that benefits workers and increases pay and living standards as well as making businesses more productive.

“We want a system that gives workers and their employer the chance to sit down together, solve problems, produce more and find innovative ways to work, creating the conditions for safer, better jobs and higher wages and conditions.”

“No-one wants to return to the uncertainty and disruption of a workplace relations system that saps productivity by stoking conflict and strike action, that’s bad for workers, bad for consumers and bad for businesses.

“The best way to get wages growing is by reinvigorating bargaining at an enterprise level to drive productivity.”