Labor has opened the door to voting down the China-Australia Free Trade Agreement saying it isn't satisfied it will protect Australian jobs.
The agreement signed in   June prevents Australia from satisfying itself of genuine labour market shortages before agreeing to requests to bring in certain types of Chinese workers. 
"It removes labour market testing for contractors, installers and servicers," Labor's trade spokeswoman Penny Wong writes in Fairfax Media newspapers on Wednesday.
"And the agreement defines these categories so broadly that they will include a wide range of occupations.
"The upshot is that despite his promise to retain labour market testing, Tony Abbott has removed it for contractors and made it an optional extra for $150 million-plus infrastructure projects."
When asked whether Labor would would vote against ratification of the agreement if its concerns were not met, Senator Wong said the legislation was yet to go before the Parliament.
"We will consider that legislation when it is presented," she said. "Labor is committed to examining the agreement through current parliamentary committee inquiries. We want to ensure safeguards are maintained to ensure its potential benefits are fully realised."
In recent weeks thousands of trade unionists have gathered in Australia's main cities protesting against the provisions.
At issue is a specific clause that removes mandatory skills assessments as part of the immigration process for Chinese electricians.
Senator Wong called on Trade Minister Andrew Robb to work with the opposition to ensure the deal serves the national interest.
However it is not clear how much room he has to manoeuvre. Once signed, trade agreements can usually only be ratified or rejected, rather than amended.
Mr Robb will address the China-Australia Free Trade Agreement in a speech to the National Press Club on Wednesday. He will also deliver an update on stalled negotiations to create a twelve-nation Trans-Pacific Partnership.
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