A group of call centre staff kept on short-term contracts at the government department responsible for workplace standards will be replaced by a third-party contractor, with their union warning “vulnerable people” contacting the government could be affected. The department has acknowledged the jobs were “core work”, which the Albanese government had committed to stop outsourcing from the Australian Public Service (APS) to the private sector. A DEWR spokesperson said that while the department was meant to prioritise APS employees for core work, the “limited use of labour hire” staff was allowed where needed. “All contact centre workers receive comparable pay and conditions, including the same training, support and flexible working arrangements to ensure consistent service quality.”DEWR has already filled about 55 positions with employees provided by external companies. “That core work needs to be done by experienced APS staff, absolutely,” the worker said.