Labor kick-started its national conference with the news that it will reinstate a special workers’ court after the last one was abolished by former prime minister John Howard in 1997.

Businesses fear the prime minister’s new jurisdiction to deal with underpayment matters and other disputes will be stacked with union-friendly judges.

Labor kick-started its national conference with the news that it will reinstate a special workers’ court after the last one was abolished by former prime minister John Howard in…