The industry superannuation sector is ramping up its campaign against proposed new laws that could threaten the dominance of trade unions on superannuation boards.

The Federal Government wants to shake up the governance of super boards and legislate that a third of trustees are independent directors.

But Industry Super Australia – which represents union and employer backed superannuation funds – says the "one-size-fits-all" model will not work and the case for change has not been made.

ISA's chief executive David Whiteley told the ABC's AM program that the proposed governance shake-up defies evidence from superannuation research house Chantwest showing that eight of the top 10 performing funds over the past year were industry funds.

"We're very concerned; these changes are the most significant we've seen since the advent of compulsory super in 1992," Mr Whiteley said.

"They impose a one-size-fits-all governance model over not-for-profit super funds and for-profit super funds when these funds are structured very differently, very deliberately."

Mr Whiteley has rejected the perception that having more independent trustees on super fund boards would benefit retirees.

"These proposals are far more far reaching than just acquiring independent trustees to be on superannuation boards," Mr Whiteley said.

"What the proposals actually do is remove the requirement that members and employers will be represented on the boards of not-for-profit superannuation funds.

"And, quite remarkably, what these proposals do is actually reduce the Government's obligations on the banking and [for-profit] superannuation funds that they've volunteered to sign up to themselves already."

Industry Super has been in a long battle with the Federal Government and argues the proposed governance changes are designed to dilute union influence of super funds.

"I think certainly that the community at large knows that, from time to time, the Government and the trade unions don't always see eye to eye," Mr Whiteley said.

"People would be deeply alarmed if for ideological reasons the Government was seeking to change superannuation governance of super funds which could lead to people having lower returns and therefore lowers superannuation balances when they retire."

The Government is planning to introduce the legislation when Parliament resumes from the long winter break and the lobbying will be intense, not just from Industry Super but other not-for-profit funds.

At the same time, retail funds run by the big banks and insurance companies are lobbying the Government for less restrictive rules, yet remain in damage control from scandals in financial advice which have hurt some big players – including the Commonwealth Bank, NAB and Macquarie Private Wealth.

But the minister responsible, Assistant Treasurer Josh Frydenberg, who introduced the proposal on governance last month, said the changes were "modest" and did not threaten super returns.

Follow Peter Ryan on Twitter @peter_f_ryan and on his Main Street blog.