The federal cabinet has signed off on a workplace bill designed to boost wages, which some business groups have labelled “half-cooked”. 

The Albanese government is reportedly planning to introduce a new workplace relations bill into parliament next week to help low-paid employees, particularly women, negotiate higher pay packets and better conditions.

Workplace Relations Minister Tony Burke says he will introduce the Secure Jobs, Better Pay Bill into parliament on Thursday, following the government's first budget on Tuesday.

Mr Burke said the legislation will include some commitments the Labor Party made ahead of the May election, as well as ideas picked up at the Jobs and Skills Summit in September.

Many expect the bill to contain the contentious proposal for multi-employer bargaining, allowing groups to work together with workers in similar businesses to negotiate one big workplace agreement covering pay and conditions.

Business and industry groups fear it could lead to large, or even sector-wide, strikes.

“There appears to be an undue haste in relation to pushing forward proposals for multi-employer bargaining,” the Australian Chamber of Commerce and Industry's Andrew McKellar says.

“Certainly this isn't the top priority to address the collapse in enterprise agreement making over the past decade.

“The process for consultation … still has some way to run. Any proposals at this stage are, at best, half cooked.”

The legislation is also expected to include changes to the Better Off Overall Test (BOOT) in workplace agreements, which some businesses see as too restrictive and a key reason for the decline in enterprise bargaining agreements in recent years.