'We’re not being unreasonable': Smelter workers begin strike action
“No one takes industrial action lightly. After more than two and a half years, workers need to see real movement from the company."
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A striking worker at Rio Tinto’s New Zealand Aluminium Smelter says people’s patience has limits.
Union members at the smelter at Tiwai Point in Southland started industrial action on Monday and are scheduled to continue on May 6, 8, and 10.
They say it comes after more than two and a half years of bargaining without reaching a fair collective agreement, and that the dispute is about wages and conditions.
Tiwai worker and E tū delegate Dee Meikle said workers were not asking for anything excessive.
“We’re not being unreasonable. What we want is decent work,” Meikle said.
“We want an agreement that recognises the job we do, the conditions we work under, and the contribution we make. People have been patient for a long time, but patience has limits.
“No one takes industrial action lightly. After more than two and a half years, workers need to see real movement from the company. This is about standing together and saying our work has value.”
Although in response a Rio Tinto spokesperson said, in a statement, the company believed the current terms and conditions offered were competitive, both in the Southland and wider New Zealand market.
“In a tough economic environment for many businesses, we’re proud to continue to offer our team members and those looking to join our team market-leading benefits and we will continue to do so as part of Tiwai continuing to be a great place to work.”
E tū Director Mat Danaher said Rio Tinto cannot take its workforce for granted, saying it was a hugely profitable global company.
“It reported underlying EBITDA of US$25.4 billion and profit after tax of US$10 billion for 2025, and announced ordinary dividends of US$6.5 billion. The workers who keep Tiwai running deserve a fair share of that success.
“Industrial action is always a last resort. When workers have bargained for more than two and a half years and still do not have a fair deal, the responsibility sits with the employer. Rio Tinto should respect collective bargaining and settle.”