Opposition Leader Bill Shorten says he welcomes an election dominated by industrial relations.
In a tweet on Thursday, Mr Shorten challenged Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull to take industrial relations to the 2016 election, saying "bring it on".
"We won on WorkChoices and we'll win again," he tweeted.
"Labor will always fight for workers, decent pay and conditions. Mr Turnbull and his Liberals will fight for big business & to cut penalty rates."
Mr Shorten's comments come a day after the Trade Union Royal Commission released a damning report into the union movement.
The report recommended scores of individuals and businesses for further civil and criminal investigation and singled out the Australian Workers' Union and the NSW branch of the Construction, Forestry, Mining and Energy Union for particular criticism.
It called for tighter legislation around union governance and financial management, for the establishment of an independent body to oversea the running of unions and for the re-establishment of the Australian Building and Construction Commission to closely monitor the building industry.
Mr Turnbull announced on Wednesday the government would re-introduce legislation when parliament returns to achieve some of these goals, despite similar laws having been rejected in the Senate.
He said the government was intent on bringing about legislative change in relation to the union movement and union officials.
"We are willing to fight an election on this," he said.
"If we can't get this legislation through the senate then it will be a major election issue.
"We will be saying 'we want you to know what your union officials are doing with your employer'. I think many members will say 'I think that sounds like a fair thing', and they will say to Mr Shorten 'are you on our side or on the side of the union bosses?'"
Labor and the unions have consistently maintained the Royal Commission, set up by former primer minister Tony Abbott, was politically motivated and designed to weaken the union movement and the standing of Mr Shorten, a former AWU boss.
The commission found Mr Shorten was not guilty of any impropriety or illegal conduct during his time in union office.
But Mr Turnbull said on Wednesday if the recommendations are made "the trade unions will be stronger and the members it represents will have greater confidence in its officials".
