Australian Labor party leader Anthony Albanese has highlighted the pitfalls of workforce casualisation during a Bowen Basin visit that included a stop at Isaac Plains coal mine and the Moranbah Miners’ Memorial.

Casualisation and increased use of labour hire had been undermining safety in the mining industry, Mr Albanese said.

“Because non-permanent workers are far less likely to be in a position of speaking out about safety issues. We need to move to more secure work. And that’s why Labor will ensure that security of employment is an objective of the Fair Work Act,” he said in a media interview at Moranbah on Monday.

It came on the eve of this week’s Senate Select Committee on Job Security public hearings, including submissions from mining bodies and unions.

Related: Job security hearings take mining focus

Mr Albanese described meeting Simon, who worked at a local mine alongside his best mate – who was with a labour hire company, was paid $40,000 a year less and did not have the same secure conditions.

“We’ve raised this very case in the National Parliament and it’s an issue which has been dismissed by the Federal Coalition Government,” Mr Albanese said.

Mr Albanese was joined by Senator for Queensland Murray Watt and Labor candidate for Capricornia Russell Robertson during the coalfields visit.

He said they had also talked with the local council about infrastructure and the problems associated with funding being linked to permanent population, while they were providing services in an area that included a large FIFO and DIDO component in the local workforce.