Mr Marius Kloppers CEO of BHP Billiton Limited spoke out strongly against the Labor government's Fair Work Act saying that it has made it too easy for workers to strike while complicating relations between employers and unions.

He said that it has broadened the range of issues that can be put on the table because the regulations around prohibited content are not the same. That means negotiations are more complex. In a tight labor environment like we've seen, that leads to fairly protracted discussions.

Mr Kloppers had previously been mostly quiet about industrial relations and related government policy but his comments add to a growing sense of dissatisfaction among larger companies about the effects of the Fair Work Act, especially after the grounding of the Qantas fleet in late October.

(Sourced from www.businessspectator.com.au)