Tasmanians support proposed laws to criminalise wage theft, survey shows

According to the poll by market research group Essential Research, 85 per cent of Tasmanians supported the move against wage theft, 71 per cent supported closing labour hire loopholes, and 69 per cent favoured more rights to gig economy workers.

The study surveyed 302 Tasmanians in the Northern and North-Western electorates of Braddon, Bass and Lyons from October 18 to 27.

The bill has been held up in the Senate, where crossbenchers David Pocock and Jacqui Lambie and others lobbied for debate to be delayed until next year.

Unions Tasmania secretary Jessica Munday said the results showed that Tasmanians had not been convinced by a $24 million advertising and lobbying campaign by the business lobby against the federal bill.

"Workers' wages have fallen behind the cost of living- this bill will help get wages moving and this polling shows workers in Tasmania overwhelmingly support this," she said.

"The politicians opposing the legislation are choosing to side with big businesses like Qantas and the big mining companies over working people.

"Action on wage theft, and minimum rights for gig workers are simple steps that will make a huge different to working people."

But some of the proposals in the bill have been heavily criticised by employer groups, who claimed that they would damage the Australian economy, reduce productivity and add to cost of living pressures on households.

Tasmanian Minerals, Manufacturing and Energy Council chief executive Ray Mostogl said in September that existing legislation already allowed authorities to target unscrupulous employers doing wrong.

He said enacting more complicated workplace legislation would drive down productivity.

He also criticised the bill's 'same job, same pay' requirements that force employers to pay identical wages for similar jobs.

"The inability to differentially reward performance is a recipe for mediocrity," Mr Mostogl said.