Every worker in New Zealand deserves to know that when they go to work, they'll return home safely

But the Council of Trade Unions says that's not the case in port industry.

It's calling for an urgent inquiry into port safety following the death of two workers over the span of a week.

A worker died yesterday unloading coal from a ship at Canterbury's Lyttelton Port - while Atiroa Tuaiti died at the Ports of Auckland last week.

Council of Trade Unions president Richard Wagstaff says if enough was being done, people wouldn't be dying at all.

He says the systems in place are failing, and that's unacceptable.