Changes to Labor's new workplace laws could be on the way, with the government suggesting they're happy to work with business groups to fine-tune their legislation.
Workplace Relations Minister Tony Burke introduced the bill to parliament on Thursday as part of the first round of reforms to workers' rights.
But business groups have loudly criticised the changes, suggesting they will leave employers vulnerable to industry-wide strikes calling for pay rises they can't afford to give.
Under the bill, employers will be legally required to reach an agreement with employees who request flexible work hours.
Workers would be able to take the case to the workforce watchdog if their boss refuses.
Multi-employer bargaining would also be introduced, and the Fair Work Commission will get new powers to resolve long-running disputes.
Business Council of Australia chief executive Jennifer Westacott saw a host of issues with the bill including the potential for broad strikes.
"Small business will be roped into this whether they like it or not, by virtue of the way it's drafted at the moment," she told reporters.
"This opens the door to widespread industrial action, and the unions have said themselves (they) want to see widespread industrial action.
"We don't think Australians want to be waiting for their trains, trying to find things at supermarkets because of hold-ups at distribution centres."
Mr Burke flagged an opt-out option in multi-employer bargaining, adding behind the scenes conversations with industry groups were more constructive than those held publicly.
"There's consultation happening right now that's likely to result in government amendments," he told the ABC.
"So there'll be some things that the business groups are calling for that we won't be willing to do, but there's some pretty constructive conversations behind the scenes there."
But Australian Industry Group chief executive Innes Willox disagreed with that assessment, saying negotiations to this point had been like "wrestling with smoke".
"There's no formal proposals put to us until the very end, a lot of hypotheticals but nothing that we could work with," he told reporters.
"Some of us saw the legislation for the first time last Friday, some of us only saw the legislation after it was introduced, that doesn't equate to great consultation."
An inquiry into the bill is due to report back by November 17, something Australian Chamber of Commerce and Industry chief executive Andrew McKellar said was a "ridiculously short" timeline.
"If you look back at what's happened in the past, with significant industrial relations changes ... an average has been a three-month period for an inquiry or consultation ... that's much more reasonable here," he told reporters.
"We're looking at three weeks ... that's ridiculously short. We've got to go out, talk to our members, they haven't seen the bill up until now."
Opposition employment and workplace relations spokesperson Michaelia Cash said the bill was "possibly the worst legislation this country will ever see", adding Mr Burke flagging amendments was "completely, totally and utterly disgraceful".
"To stand up in your second reading speech and say 'the bill we have before us is actually deficient' when it is a bill that is going to have wide ranging impacts on our economy is quite frankly, disgraceful," she told reporters.
