In a dig at the Labor Party's plan to repeal the laws should it win government in the federal election later this year, the AMMA said that removal of protections against industrial action would return the country to a "previous industrial age" where union power was strong and Australia had a reputation as an unreliable and strike-prone nation that "could not deliver".

Industrial relations is shaping up as a key battle between the Opposition and the Coalition Government in the election, and the AMMA's message to policy makers is "if it ain't broke, don't fix it".

The AMMA valued the resources sector's export earnings at $116.5 billion over the next year, with mining projects worth some $130 billion under construction.

While the AMMA, which is the national employer association representing the resources sector and associated industries, did not directly say these projects would be at risk should industrial relations laws change, it said the industry wanted to keep "inappropriate conduct" to a minimum to protect the value of those investments.

The resources sector required a stable industrial climate where investors would have confidence that industrial disputes would not affect projects, the AMMA added.

Any winding back of the current system would threaten investor confidence in Australia and would undermine infrastructure development, the association said.

It also said any weakening of the regime would increase union power and could see a return to a "law of the jungle" environment, constituting "an open invitation to unions to put at risk our stable and harmonious workplaces and Australia's economic prosperity".

The current laws struck the right balance between employee and employer rights, the AMMA said.

The AMMA said it welcomed Labor Party Leader Kevin Rudd's position that industrial action and lawless behaviour from union officials were not a part of the a modern industrial relations system.

However it said this did not sit well with the ALP's goal of abolishing the Australian Industrial Relations Commission and the Australian Building and Construction Commission.

It was concerned a Labor government would not be able curtail and discipline unlawful industrial action if these bodies were abolished.

The association implicitly backed the re-election of the Coalition Government, which has said it will maintain the industrial relations legislation in its current form.