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Bargaining representatives say being an intermediary between colleagues and employers is "time-consuming", "stressful" and "confronting", in a new report that makes six recommendations for how the Fair Work Commission can better support them.

The Bargaining Discovery Research Project, commissioned by the FWC and undertaken by Pivot Management Consulting, sought insights on employees' and employers' understanding of enterprise bargaining and agreement-making, along with solutions to overcome any barriers faced, and preferences for accessing information and support.

Released today, the report reveals participants have low comprehension of the fundamentals of bargaining and agreement-making. For example: most couldn't define "bargaining" or describe the high-level process; and even those who believed they had moderate-to-high knowledge failed to demonstrate detailed understanding of key concepts and processes...