Federal Labor has promised to hold shipbuilding workforce summit within four weeks of the May 18 election if it wins office.
Opposition defence spokesman Richard Marles says the coalition government is "bungling" naval shipbuilding with skilled workers leaving the industry just as the need for their roles begins to grow.
"That's why a Labor government would convene an urgent summit in South Australia - with the Minister, the major shipbuilding companies and the unions - to agree on a plan to secure these highly skilled workers in the SA shipbuilding industry," Mr Marles said on Wednesday.
Mr Marles says Adelaide-based shipbuilder ASC is still shedding some jobs despite the upcoming work on the offshore patrol boats, frigates and submarines.
"Australia needs to be growing, not shrinking, our shipbuilding workforce numbers if we're going to build the naval ships we have planned," he said.
