Labor has warned parliament Australia's building and construction industry could be thrown into chaos if changes to laws reinstating a watchdog pass.
Opposition workplace spokesman Brendan O'Connor told MPs it was unfair to reduce a two-year transition period for companies to comply with a new building code to nine months after a re-think by Senator Derryn Hinch.
"If the bill passes it will be a Pyrrhic victory, as there will be chaos, uncertainty and potentially industrial conflict in the building and construction industry," he said on Tuesday.
Labor claims more than 3000 enterprise agreements will have to be re-negotiated before August 31 this year in order to be code-complaint.
Those that don't comply will be ineligible for government contracts.
"How this will improve productivity is anyone's guess," Mr O'Connor said.
Liberal MP Sarah Henderson told parliament there was "reasonable" time for those affected to transition.
"Building companies have been on notice for a very significant period of time," she said.
The bill passed the lower house on Tuesday night after the federal government gagged debate.
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