Federal Employment and Workplace Relations Minister Bill Shorten has accused the Victorian government of deliberately frustrating progress on the national occupational health and safety harmonisation initative.

 

In an interview with The Australian, Mr Shorten accused Victoria of possessing the worst work safety record in the country, saying that data shows that 17 people had died on the job in the last six months of 2011, compared with seven in NSW and eight in Queensland over the same time period.

 

"These numbers are somewhat volatile, so we have to be careful in the conclusions that we draw -- but at the very least, this indicates that workplace safety is not an area where Victoria can drag its feet,” Mr Shorten told The Australian.

 

The spat between Federal and State Governments come as the Victorian Government submitted its official opposition to the Building and Construction Industry Improvement Amendment (Transition to Fair Work) Bill 2011 that would see the abolition of the Office of the Australian Building and Construction Commissioner (ABCC).

 

"Abolishing the ABCC would result in an escalation of unlawful behaviour and misconduct in the construction industry," State Minister for Employment and Industrial Relations Richard Dalla-Riva said.