Labor is putting pressure on the federal government to intervene in the collapse of Clive Palmer's Queensland nickel ventures.
Opposition Leader Bill Shorten is calling on Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull to activate a government safety net for workers' entitlements.
"The workers in this refinery didn't ask to be let down by global nickel prices or management conduct," he told reporters in Sydney on Sunday.
He said the prime minister could use his discretion to release funds from the Fair Entitlements Guarantee to help cover any unpaid wages, leave and redundancy pay.
Meanwhile, a plan by Mr Palmer to try and salvage jobs appears to be stalled.
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Mr Palmer told ABC Television that administrators, who he blames for firing the workers, cancelled shipments of nickel, making it unlikely there will be jobs for workers in the short term.
It could take about two months to get shipments in for the workers to process, he told ABC Television.
Mr Palmer is also embroiled in a war of words with the Queensland government over environmental approvals for the refinery.
Queensland Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk says Mr Palmer doesn't know what approvals he needs and she is prepared to work with him on the issue.
Mr Palmer says he has little faith in the government, and argues he has submitted his transfer request and done his side of the approvals process.
"We've met our side of it. We applied to have the approvals transferred to the new company. Once they're transferred to the new company the new company can start to operate," he said.
He is threatening to use cash slated for the project in other states or overseas if the approvals aren't resolved.
