The Electrical Trade Union's decision to expel members working in the uranium mining industry is arrogant beyond belief, the Minerals Council of the Northern Territory says.

The union says it has done research that proves uranium is dangerous and will begin to enforce a ban on members working in the industry.

But Scott Perkins from the council says the industry is one of the most regulated in the world.

"To contemplate banning your members from quite legitimate work is arrogant beyond belief," he said.

"I mean I wouldn't be surprised if they lose members over this.

"You must contemplate that there's people out there in legitimate well-paid jobs looking after their families and the union comes along and tells them they can't work.

"The reaction must be bad."

The head of the Australian Uranium Association says the Electrical Trade Union might be in breach of the Fair Work Act for banning its members from working in the uranium industry.

The association's Michael Angwin says it is a very strange way for the union to behave in the 21st Century and may be against the law.

"The idea that it would adversely treat its members on the basis of where they work or where they might want to work seems to me to be something which comes from a generation 40 or 50 years ago and not in a modern day Australia."

David Patterson, the manager of external relations for Energy Resources of Australia, which operates the Ranger uranium mine in the Northern Territory, says the union's claims are unfounded.

"There's a high degree of monitoring and just to take radiation as an example, it's fully reported on in our annual report," he said.

"And what that shows is that workers at the Ranger mine, their radiation exposures are way, way below the recommended annual limits."