Source: Radio New Zealand
RNZ / Nate McKinnon
Workers at Tiwai Point aluminium smelter say they are sick of waiting after more than two years of unsuccessful bargaining.
E tū union members at the Rio Tinto-owned smelter in Southland have been in bargaining for a new collective employment agreement since 2024.
Rio Tinto said it provided a competitive package and would continue to engage with the union and staff in good faith.
Workers started striking outside the smelter on Monday morning, with more industrial action expected later this week.
Operator and firefighter Dee Meikle said negotiations had taken far too long.
“Two years too long… There’s nothing. There’s no coming to the party with anything, just moving out the goalposts and then actually removing the goalposts from us, and it’s become an absolute joke,” she said.
She wanted the company to listen and ensure there was a good agreement in place for mokopuna starting out at the smelter from the community.
E tū Director Mat Danaher said the strike was not about pay or conditions, but about sending a message to the company.
The workers had made concession after concession to get something over the line to no avail and felt like the company needed to put in more effort, he said.
More workers had signed up with the union on Monday so they could participate in the industrial action, he said.
“It’s about the right of New Zealand workers to come together collectively and negotiate with their employer for better terms and conditions over time. It’s about their fundamental human rights to unionise and be collective,” he said.
“We feel that the attitude Rio Tinto’s displayed during bargaining is potentially a breach of that.”
Rio Tinto had asked for mediation later this month and he hoped the company was prepared to reach a deal when they next sat around the bargaining table.
In an earlier statement, Rio Tinto said New Zealand’s Aluminium Smelter believed that the terms and conditions it offered were competitive and positioned the company well both in the region and the wider market.
“We will continue to engage with the union, and all our staff, in good faith and have confirmed we will recommence mediation on 20 May,” a spokesperson said.
“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.”
Rio Tinto has been contacted for additional comment.
Sign up for Ngā Pitopito Kōrero, a daily newsletter curated by our editors and delivered straight to your inbox every weekday.
– Published by EveningReport.nz and AsiaPacificReport.nz, see: MIL OSI in partnership with Radio New Zealand