By Pretoria Gordon of RNZ

Workers at the Tiwai Point aluminium smelter have voted to take industrial action from Monday, following unsuccessful bargaining, but the smelter, owned by Rio Tinto, says it provides a competitive package.

E tū union members at New Zealand's Aluminium Smelter in Southland, owned by Rio Tinto, have been in bargaining since 2024.

E tū Director Mat Danaher told RNZ the dispute was about the basic right of working people to organise.

"We believe this failure to agree is a deliberate anti-union tactic," he said.

"They do not want to have a collective employment agreement in place.…