The Essential Report Archive Read the latest report

Productivity

12 Sep 2011

Q. Some business leaders have recently claimed that to increase productivity, industrial relations laws need to be changed to give businesses more flexibility around how they employ workers, including re-introducing individual contracts. Do you agree or disagree?

Total Vote Labor Vote Lib/Nat Vote Greens
Total agree 40% 27% 59% 17%
Total disagree 42% 61% 24% 61%
Strongly agree 11% 6% 19% 2%
Agree 29% 21% 40% 15%
Disagree 22% 29% 17% 23%
Strongly disagree 20% 32% 7% 38%
Don’t know 18% 11% 17% 21%

Opinions about the need for changes to industrial laws to increase productivity were divided. 40% agreed with the need to change IR laws and 42% disagreed. 61% of Labor voters and Greens voters disagreed, while 59% of Liberal/National voters agreed.

Those aged 35-54 tended to disagree (35% agree/47% disagree) while those aged under 35 (40%/34%) and 55+ (48%/42%) were more likely to agree. 46% of full-time workers disagreed and 43% agreed.

Error: