The Australian Council of Trade Unions (ACTU) says official figures show a majority of workers on Australian Workplace Agreements are working longer hours for less pay than those on collective agreements.

ACTU secretary Greg Combet says the latest figures from the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) show there is a pay gap of $34 a week between both groups, adding up to a difference of $1,768 per year.

Mr Combet says the figures also reveal that women fare the worst.

"They in fact earn about $5,700 per year less if they are on Australian Workplace Agreements than they do compared to women who are on collective agreements.

Labor's employment spokeswoman Julia Gillard says the statistics are bad news for the Government.

"Women in particular are getting ripped off, women who work full-time earn on average $2.30 less per hour if they are on an AWA rather than a collective agreement, these statistics clearly show that AWA's are bad news for working families and particularly bad news for working mums," she said.

Employment Minister Joe Hockey says the Government has a proud history when it comes to women re-entering the work force.

"Under the Coalition, women have a fairer go in the work place, they have better wages and they have better opportunities than certainly anything under the Labor Party," he said.

The Chamber of Commerce and Industry believes workers are better off under individual contracts, and says Labor should reconsider its plan to abolish AWAs.