The Morrison Government has handed Australians a pay cut for Christmas under its proposed industrial relations changes, Local MP Libby Coker said.

As we pull out of COVID-19, Morrisons wage cuts are a callous retrograde step that will only punish lower paid workers and stifle our economic recovery, Ms Coker said.

Instead of fairly sharing the pain between people and our biggest companies, this government just wants to send the invoice to the Australian people, particularly our lower paid workers.

The value of Australias 200 largest companies is the same as it was 12 months ago. Meanwhile ordinary Australians are stretched like never before.

So, while Morrison gives tax breaks to the rich, the lowest paid and insecure workers are asked to tighten their belts and take a wage cut.

While the pandemic had been challenging, we all need to do our bit. But we need to be fair. The Morrison Government must stop asking families to do all the heavy lifting. Ms Coker said.

Geelong Trades Hall Council Secretary, Anthony Anderson, said the amendments were an assault on workers.

The proposed bill is more about stripping workers rights than giving workers certainty about their employment and conditions, he said.

Ms Coker said Labor was willing to support industrial relations reform as long as the Government could pull together a plan that worked, that supported the workforce and stimulated rather than damaged the economy.