Unions vow to revive WorkChoices campaign after Workplace relations report flags review of minimum wage

Unions are vowing to revive their WorkChoices campaign following confirmation that the minimum wage and penalty rates will be examined in a long awaited government review of industrial relations.

The newly released Productivity Commission paper, which was made public online a day before the embargo lifted, canvassed possible changes to the minimum wage, penalty rates, unfair dismissal laws and the role of unions in collective bargaining and has divided unions and employer groups.

The Productivity Commission's findings are expected to form the basis of a new workplace relations policy for the Federal Coalition.

However, the Australian Council of Trade Unions (ACTU) has warned it would make sure the report is a central theme in the Queensland election as the campaign approaches its final days.

"I think it's very important that the people of Queensland understand what the agenda is of the conservative government right now, that they very clearly have people, have workers' wages, have their conditions and have their workplace rights in their sights," ACTU secretary Ged Kearney said.

"I will be highlighting that. I will be highlighting the fact that the Newman Government is very close to the Abbott Government in these views.

"No stone is to be left unturned and nothing is out of bounds for big business or the Government to continue what is a concerted attack on the living standards of working Australians in this country.

"The ACTU of course will be doing everything we can to defend those things that we know are important to living standards in this country, things like the minimum wage, penalty rates, access to unions."

Opposition Leader Bill Shorten said workers should be worried about their future conditions.

"I don't think most Australians think that in 2015 the Abbott government is just having some sort of intellectual exercise," Mr Shorten said.

"They will be looking at the whole workplace system.

"They have an agenda to attack the minimum wage and penalty rates."

Government will carefully consider recommendations: Abetz

However, Employment Minister Eric Abetz is adamant whatever the commission recommends would be carefully considered by the Government before being put to voters at the next election.

"Whatever recommendations we believe are appropriate for the Fair Work framework, we will then seek a mandate at the 2016 election, well in time for people to determine whether or not recommended changes that we may adopt are good for our nation," Senator Abetz said.

"There's not going to be another WorkChoices campaign. Labor and the trade union movement tried that at the 2010 election and it failed. They tried it again at the 2013 election and it fell even flatter. The Australian people know that WorkChoices is dead, buried and cremated."

Senator Abetz refused to be drawn on what he thought the minimum wage should be.

"I'm not going to speculate on that. It's not my task. It is a task given to the Fair Work Commission and those that believe the minimum wage is too low can make a submission as they do each and every year to the Fair Work Commission," he told ABC News Breakfast.

National Senator John Williams said he had not forgotten the 2007 WorkChoices election. Nevertheless, he believed changes to industrial relations were crucial.

"We remember the 2007 election very, very well. WorkChoices was a huge burden for the Coalition Government at the time, the Howard government. Yeah, it was politically bad.

"But you've got to come to the stage where you've got to look at what is good for your country, what is good for your small businesses. Remember, we are a free enterprise economy and our nation's wealth is derived from business," he said.

Business groups and employer representatives, including Steve Smith from the Australian Industry group, welcomed the discussion paper.

Mr Smith said it was time all aspects of industrial relations were properly debated.

"Every time anyone mentions workplace relations, the unions say it's a return to WorkChoices. It frankly is getting ridiculous, the debate needs to move on," he said.

"Workplace relations reform shouldn't be a dirty word, we really need to look at what sorts of changes need to be made to give not only employers but employees the flexibility that 21st century workplaces need."

The issues paper invites discussion about the rationale for minimum wage, how effective it is, how many people should receive it, how long people should receive it for and how it is calculated.

On awards and penalty rates, it raises questions of whether they should be further simplified, calculated differently, swapped for time-off-in-lieu or scrapped altogether.

The section on bargaining raises questions about the process employers must undertake before they can ask employees to approve a workplace agreement, suggesting it is an "open question" as to whether some should be changed.

It also queries whether there should be changes to what enterprise agreements can cover, in particular the role of unions.

A final report is due in November.