Australian workers will get more holidays every year if a new union campaign succeeds.

The Australian Council of Trade Unions wants the minimum annual leave entitlement raised from four to five weeks – the first proposed change in more than 50 years.

If successful, regular shift workers would see their entitlement rise from five to six weeks.

ACTU secretary Sally McManus said the proposal addresses growing workloads since four weeks were entrenched in workplace law in 1974.

“Australian workers already do an extra four and a half weeks of unpaid work on average every year. Getting back one of these weeks is fair and reasonable,” she said.

Business groups said it would further depress productivity and add to inflation. Treasurer Jim Chalmers told reporters “it is not something that we have been considering”.

But McManus said: “Australian workers who are more rested and have more energy are more productive workers.”

IKEA, which established five weeks annual leave for its staff in 2023, said it was happy with the change.

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