FEDERAL Opposition Leader Bill Shorten has given police a dossier of corruption allegations relating to a key union.

Mr Shorten was given the information on the Construction, Forestry, Mining and Energy Union and says he immediately referred it to police.

The news comes a day after Prime Minister Tony Abbott announced a royal commission into alleged union corruption, which specifically mentions the CFMEU.

"The fact that I forwarded it on to police as opposed to a committee shows that the way to handle these very serious issues in the building and construction industry is the police," Mr Shorten told reporters in Canberra on Tuesday.

He said the Australian Crime Commission had the powers of a royal commission and federal and state police also do a good job.

"There is no tolerance at all for any low-lifes wearing a union badge, claiming to represent the legitimate interests of workers, engaging in bribery or extortion or corruption," Mr Shorten said.

"Just as there is no place for an employer to do this - there is no one above the law."

Labor has called for a special task force led by the Australian Federal Police to handle union corruption allegations.