Workforces are changing, the gig economy is expanding and the employment law framework is struggling to keep up.

CCI’s Future of Work IR conference will question what it all means and provide insights from leaders in the field into the rapidly changing workforce.

Australian Chamber of Commerce and Industry’s Deputy Director of Workplace Relations Alana Matheson will address Australia’s position when it comes to competing for jobs in the global marketplace.

Matheson, who wrote ACCI’s submission to the Senate Committee on the Future of Work and Workers, says four out of five jobs in Australia are created by the private sector, and therefore businesses need to survive in a global economy to continue to create those opportunities.

“The ongoing prosperity and success of our community depends on our capacity to deliver a clear and powerful value proposition for investing and doing business in Australia,” she said in her address to the Senate Select Committee on the Future of Work and Workers last month.

She says discussion about the future of work should attempt to develop a shared understanding about what is happening in the global economy and global labour market so policy can be debated and designed with that in mind.

“We need to engage with policies that will help us secure competitive advantage, and bring future opportunities to this country,” she said.

WA Industrial Relations Commission Chief Commissioner Pamela Scott will look at the rise of the individual, while UnionsWA Secretary Meredith Hammat will share insights into the looming technological and social changes.