Labor’s Fair Work plan ‘insane’ story highlights resources employers slamming an ALP proposal to give more powers to the Fair Work Commission as “insanity”, warning that the tribunal should not be granted more capacity to interfere in the bargaining system.

Australian Mines and Metals Association chief executive Steve Knott said it would be “insanity” to revive the policy.“The opposition can sugar-coat it as a ‘two-way street’ all it likes, but employers will see this policy for what it is — an effort to hand even more power to a centralised industrial relations tribunal, comprising mostly of ex-union bosses and mates of the ALP, to further interfere in a bargaining system already skewed heavily in favour of trade unions,” Mr Knott said.

“Given the detrimental economic impacts of the Fair Work Act’s sledgehammer approach to workplace regulation, resources and energy employers would be very sceptical of any ALP policy seeking to further entrench third parties into the employment relationship.”

Mr Knott said workplaces needed less red tape and third-party interference to increase productivity and create more employment opportunities.