The Council of Trade Unions says proposed budget cuts at the Department of Labour will lead to a decline in workplace safety.
Two consultation documents show the department expects funding to be reduced by almost $1 million a year during the next two years, with a budget shortfall of almost $9 million a year by 2014.
To meet its budget, the department proposes cutting 17 jobs, including three senior advisors in health and safety, and in workplace relations.
CTU president Helen Kelly says the papers show these advisors will be replaced by junior staff offering advice via the department's call centre.
She says the reduction in senior positions will mean less scrutiny of dangerous workplaces, and will do nothing to reduce the country's workplace death rate of one worker per week.
