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The federal government has defended the extra billions of dollars employers will be paying workers under workplace reforms, saying it is a fraction of Australia's total wage bill.

Asked if the reported $9 billion over 10 years in extra wages was an accurate figure, Workplace Relations Minister Tony Burke did not deny the sum, but said it was an "extraordinary amount" for people to be underpaid.

Mr Burke said it was a tiny percentage of the total wage paid by Australian employers, challenging the notion that it would translate into a massive surge in consumer prices.

"That figure, when you look at it as a percentage of Australia's wages, is one tenth of one per cent of what wages are in Australia," he told reporters in Canberra.

The changes to workplace laws, introduced to parliament on Monday, are aimed at closing loopholes, including the use of labour hire workers to undercut the rate of pay agreed for employees.

The reforms also seek to criminalise wage theft, bolster protections for gig workers, and create a pathway for casuals to become permanent.

The proposed changes have unleashed a wave of criticism from the coalition and employer groups, with concerns the legislation will push up the cost of deliveries and other services for consumers, weigh on productivity growth, and trigger job losses.

Opposition workplace relations spokeswoman Michaelia Cash said the coalition wanted to see higher wages for Australians.

"But that cannot be at the expense of businesses, it cannot be at the expense of passing on higher costs to consumers," she told reporters in Canberra.

Senator Cash called on Mr Burke to allow public hearings for feedback on the proposed changes, saying the government did not need to "ram" the legislation through.

"Let's work through the complexity, let's work through the cost, let's work through the confusion," she said.

Business groups, which have been campaigning against the changes for several months, are wary of the scope of the reforms.

Master Builders Australia challenged the notion the reforms would have a minimal impact.

"There is nothing simple about adding hundreds of pages to the Fair Work Act and expecting businesses of all sizes and independent contractors to try and navigate it," chief executive Denita Wawn said.

Greens leader Adam Bandt said his party wanted more money going into workers' pockets, but is yet to say whether it will support the legislation.

With the opposition expected to oppose the bill, the government will need support from the Greens and crossbenchers to pass the laws.

The Greens party room will meet on Tuesday morning.

"We've been pushing for some years now to ensure that there's a hard floor underneath Australian labour laws so that people can't be exploited and paid less than the minimum wage," Mr Bandt told ABC Radio.

© AAP 2023

Billions of dollars worth of unpaid wages could be returned to Australian workers as the federal government attempts to crack down on exploitative labour loopholes.

When asked if workers would receive a staggering $9 billion in extra wages over 10 years, Workplace Relations Minister Tony Burke did not deny the sum and said it was an "extraordinary amount" for people to be underpaid.

But he noted it was a tiny percentage of the total wages paid by Australian employers and challenged the notion it would translate into a massive surge in consumer prices.

"That figure, when you look at it as a percentage of Australia's wages, is one tenth of one per cent of what wages are in Australia," he told reporters in Canberra on Tuesday.

The changes to workplace laws, introduced to parliament on Monday, are aimed at closing loopholes, including the use of labour hire workers to undercut the rate of pay agreed for employees.

The reforms also seek to criminalise wage theft, bolster protections for gig workers and create a pathway for casuals to become permanent.

The proposed changes have unleashed a wave of criticism from the coalition and employer groups, with concerns the legislation will push up the cost of deliveries and other services for consumers, weigh on productivity growth and trigger job losses.

Opposition workplace relations spokeswoman Michaelia Cash said the coalition wanted higher wages for Australians.

"But that cannot be at the expense of businesses, it cannot be at the expense of passing on higher costs to consumers," she said.

Senator Cash called on Mr Burke to allow public hearings for feedback on the proposed changes, saying the government did not need to ram the legislation through.

"Let's work through the complexity, let's work through the cost, let's work through the confusion," she said.

The coalition failed in a bid to refer the bill to an inquiry which would report in February.

Business groups, which have been campaigning against the changes for several months, are wary of the scope of the reforms.

Master Builders Australia challenged the notion the reforms would have a minimal impact.

"There is nothing simple about adding hundreds of pages to the Fair Work Act and expecting businesses of all sizes and independent contractors to try and navigate it," chief executive Denita Wawn said.

Minerals Council of Australia CEO Tania Constable decried the bill as "an act of national self-harm" and claimed it would not increase competition or innovation and bring down inflation.

"It has nothing to do with closing any loophole," she said.

"Instead, it could catch every business in Australia that employs staff.

"It's not about increasing wages. It will increase the cost of everything for everyone. It's the bill that poor Australians will have to pay."

Greens leader Adam Bandt said his party wanted more money going into workers' pockets, but is yet to say whether it will support the legislation.

The government will need support from the Greens and crossbenchers to pass the laws.

© AAP 2023

Business groups have directed a barrage of criticism at the Albanese government's proposed workplace reforms aimed at protecting the pay and conditions of workers.

The changes to workplace law, introduced to parliament on Monday, have been labelled as "radical" and "unworkable" by bodies representing employers.

The government says the reforms are focused on closing loopholes, including the use of labour hire workers to undercut the rate of pay agreed for employees.

The reforms also seek to criminalise wage theft, bolster protections for gig workers and create a pathway for casuals to become permanent.

Workplace Relations Minister Tony Burke says the changes will apply to a fairly small cohort of firms doing the wrong thing, with the majority of workers and businesses unaffected.

But business groups, which have been campaigning against the changes for several months, are wary of the scope of the reform.

Master Builders Australia, which represents the building and construction industry, challenged the notion the reforms would have a minimal impact.

"There is nothing simple about adding hundreds of pages to the Fair Work Act and expecting businesses of all sizes and independent contractors to try and navigate it," chief executive officer Denita Wawn said.

The Australian Retailers Association raised concerns about the changes for casual workers.

"We see the benefits of a more permanent retail workforce, but our members say there are currently very low levels of casual conversion," ARA CEO Paul Zahra said.

He was worried the bill would add administrative hassle without making any material change to casual conversion rates.

Mr Burke challenged anyone opposing the changes to defend the loopholes directly.

"If someone thinks it's reasonable, that wage theft should not be a crime, defend it," he said while introducing the new laws to parliament on Monday.

"If someone thinks it's okay, that someone who could easily be converted to secure work shouldn't have the option to do so, then say so."

© AAP 2023