Prime Minister Scott Morrison has called for a ceasefire between union leaders and business executives in order to put industrial relations reform on the national agenda.

Opposition leader Anthony Albanese told Mark Levy the reforms are sorely needed to ease the “conflict fatigue” caused by the current poor state of relations.

“Unions and business have common interests.

“What we want is cooperative workplaces. At the moment, the industrial relations system isn’t working.

“Productivity’s been going backwards … wages, of course, have been stagnant for a long period of time.”

However, Mr Albanese said it’s reasonable to question the Prime Minister’s sincerity, especially in the wake of the NSW Premier’s public sector pay freeze.

“It wasn’t championed [by Bob Hawke] in one speech, it was championed with action.

“Perhaps Scott Morrison, if he wants to show some goodwill, should get onto the New South Wales Premier and tell her that those brave Australians … are deserving of this pay rise.”

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