The business community paid tribute to an Australian icon when former Labor Prime Minister Bob Hawke (pictured) passed away last week, aged 89.

The Hon Robert (Bob) James Lee Hawke AC, GCL, has been remembered as a reformist PM and one of the most influential figures in the history of Australian industrial relations.

Mr Hawke remains Labor’s longest-serving prime minister and Australia’s third-longest-serving Prime Minister (1983-1991).

James Pearson, CEO of the Australian Chamber, said Mr Hawke’s leadership and collaborative approach saw important and long-lasting changes to the Australian economy and workplaces such as:

• The floating of the Australian dollar and significant reductions in tariffs, to allow Australian businesses to compete and prosper on their own merits rather than being protected by a fixed currency and tariff walls
• The introduction of enterprise bargaining, to allow employers and employees to build individual workplace environments that create the best outcomes for firms and the people who work in them
• The opening up of Australia’s financial sector to promote greater competition and provide greater choice to Australian consumers, both individuals and businesses
• Founding the Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) forum to promote the liberalisation of trade and investment and economic growth in our region
• The introduction of the Sex Discrimination and Affirmative Action Acts (now the Workplace Gender Equality Act), to allow women the same status and privilege as men in the workplace

Mr Hawke was elected ACTU president in 1969, before stepping down in 1980 to move into politics.

One of his first political highlights as PM was hosting a summit between unions, business and government, where a Prices and Incomes Accord was signed off to stop union demands for wage increases, underpinning Mr Hawke’s aspirational economic reform.

“Bob Hawke was a great leader of our country, a giant of industrial relations who prized consensus outcomes, an economic and social reformer and a man with whom so many Australians could identify and admire”, Mr Pearson said.

“Mr Hawke’s vision as Prime Minister to begin the modernisation of our industrial relations system and move it from institutionalised conflict towards a culture of collaboration contributed to decades of growth and prosperity, to jobs for millions of Australians and to Australia rising to become a leading global economy.

“The man has gone but his legacy endures.”

In a statement, the ACTU described Mr Hawke as “a hero to working people”.

“The Australian union movement has enormous pride that a great and respected representative of working people and ACTU President went on to become a loved and legendary Australian Prime Minister,” the statement read.

A memorial service will be held in Sydney in coming weeks.