Business is disappointed in the government’s support for a radical Greens amendment which would reshape how enterprise bargaining is conducted in Australia.

“The government voted in favour of a Greens’ amendment to its IR bill which would wipe out any form of give and take in bargaining negotiations,” ACCI chief executive officer Andrew McKellar said.

“The amendment, which seeks to change a law that only came into effect a matter of months ago, will mean that unions can drag out a bargaining dispute, unilaterally force a matter to be arbitrated by the Fair Work Commission, and because of the government-backed Greens change, the employer will be worse off than before.

“This proposed amendment undermines arbitration as a moderating force in disputes and will incentivise unions to stall and disrupt negotiations to trigger the new intractable bargaining clauses.

“We will see fewer agreements being made between parties and more unilateral decisions by the Fair Work Commission – further destroying productivity in our workplaces.

“The Greens’ amendment to this process would be incredibly harmful and would have the effect of fundamentally reshaping enterprise bargaining in Australia. It must be rejected by the Senate.

“This development is a sign that the government is content to outsource its workplace relations policy – a key plank of our economy – to the far left of politics.

“Reports that the government will similarly give in to pressure from the Greens in the Senate and legislate a right to disconnect is also concerning. Punishing employers for connecting with employees after hours is not consistent with the expectations of our modern economy. It is the antithesis of flexibility, which we need more of to drive higher productivity and higher wages.

“Business calls on government and the Senate to reject these radical proposals.”