A bill to abolish the Australian Building and Construction Commission (ABCC) could have a negative impact on the Australian home-building industry, according to Master Builders Australia (MBA).
The bill would reduce the maximum fines that can be imposed on unions for unlawful industrial action and sanction more strikes, the trade body has claimed.
MBA research suggests further reforms to make industrial action more difficult could increase productivity by ten to 14.5 per cent.
Richard Calver, acting chief executive officer of MBA, said: "The community must not pay the price of persistent unlawful behaviour in the commercial building industry."
He added that the control provided by the ABCC is crucial in ensuring the sector remains productive and profitable, citing these benefits as the reason a powerful industry watchdog is so important.
The ABCC describes its responsibilities as ensuring building work is carried out "efficiently, fairly and productively" for the benefit of the community as well as the industry and the workers within it.
Posted by Craig Francis
