Unions and business are at odds over whether the government should postpone workplace law changes while reviews are under way.
At least four inquiries are examining aspects of workplace law, including a royal commission into union corruption, a review of competition policy and inquiries by the Productivity Commission and Australian Law Reform Commission.
At the same time the government is seeking parliament approval for four bills, dealing with workplace bargaining, tougher penalties for misconduct and bringing back the building and construction industry watchdog.
The ACTU has told Employment Minister Eric Abetz in a letter that proceeding with the bills now "is a waste of taxpayer resources and the Senate's time".
"It is inevitable that the government will develop further legislation as a result of some or all of these inquiries, requiring the parliament to consider the matters again in 2016," the peak union body said.
"It is bizarre for the government to be pursuing an extensive legislative program in perfect parallel to multi-million dollar review processes into the exact same subject matter."
ACTU secretary Dave Oliver added that the government was creating "considerable uncertainty" for business and workers.
Australian Chamber of Commerce and Industry spokesman John Osborn said it was a "shameless and transparent ploy by the union movement to stall vital workplace reforms and protect their vested interests".
"Businesses are suffering right now. We can't afford to wait while new job and investment opportunities are being lost," Mr Osborn said.
He said many of the changes in the bills came out of the previous Labor government's review of the Fair Work system.
Senator Abetz said the four bills fulfilled election promises by the coalition and any further changes to workplace laws would be taken to the 2016 election.
He said not proceeding with the bills would create uncertainty for business.
Labor workplace spokesman Brendan O'Connor said the minister was on an "ideological crusade against working people".
"Minister Abetz needs to rethink the fundamentally unfair legislation he has before the parliament, particularly as the Productivity Commission is now conducting a review into all IR laws," Mr O'Connor told AAP.
"Labor can not, and will not, support any legislation that will leave Australian workers worse off."
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