Master Builders Australia has hit out at the ongoing transition from Fair Work Australia to the Fair Work Commission, saying that businesses are facing an inundation of red tape.

Acting Chief Executive Officer of Master Builders Australia, Richard Calver, said the proposed addition to the Commission’s rules would disadvantage all parties in the enterprise bargaining process.

“Ultimately, the new addition to the Fair Work Commission’s rules would unduly delay and potentially derail the enterprise agreement approvals process.

“The employer's declaration in support of an application for approval of an enterprise agreement can be very technical and difficult for most to comprehend. It’s an especially difficult proposition for an employee acting as their own representative to read the employer’s declaration, understand it and declare they agree with it.

“The new rule seems to be created under the premise that employees must seek a trade union to act as their representative during the bargaining process, but only 18 per cent of the nation’s workforce are trade union members.