The Council of Small Business has advised Tony Abbott to keep quiet about industrial relations as he attempts to get the coalition's election campaign back on track.

The opposition leader's effort to neutralise the issue has so far failed to pay dividends, with him stumbling during a radio interview on Monday, and tripping up again on a breakfast program Tuesday.

Mr Abbott declared Work Choices "dead, buried and cremated", but has not closed the possibility his government would change aspects of the industrial relations system, especially the removal by regulation of unfair dismissal protections for small business workers.

While backing removal of the protections, Council of Small Business chief executive Peter Strong said Tuesday, "Tony Abbott's got to not talk about it any more, because he's going to get murdered."

Labor is doing its best to hold the pressure on Mr Abbott, saying the coalition cannot depart from the Howard government's controversial IR regime.

"Tony Abbott trying to walk away from Work Choices would be like Richie Benaud saying he doesn't like cricket anymore," Treasurer Wayne Swan said.

Mr Abboott, meanwhile, insists the focus on the concern is a sign of desperation from Labor.

"They are desperate to run the 2010 election as if it were the 2007 election," he said.

Reserve Bank's board member Graham Kraehe has recently joined business leaders in criticising both sides of parliament for their disinclination to look at changes to workplace laws in preparations for the federal poll.