Anthony Albanese has told a room full of the country’s most senior business leaders his government is pro-business and pro-worker as he refused to resile from his industrial relations changes, ensuring they will remain the key irritant between Labor and the corporate sector until the election.

In an otherwise conciliatory speech to the Business Council of Australia on Tuesday night, in which he said there were many more areas of agreement than disagreement, the prime minister stood firm on IR changes that have been condemned by miners, manufacturers and the broader business community as terrible for productivity.