The dispute between Rio Tinto Ltd (ASX:RIO) and the Australian Workers Union is heating up.
The fight over pay at the Tasmanian smelter has reached boiling point with the launch of television ads slamming the miner.
The ads, launched yesterday are in response to claims that workers at Rio’s Bell Bay smelter are paid $20,000 less than workers at the company’s plants at Port Henry and Portland in Victoria.
A Rio spokesperson says the claims are incorrect.
The ads feature a giant boot labelled as Rio crushing and kicking a picture of Tasmania.
In the year to 31 December 2010, Rio Tinto posted a net profit of $14.9 billion.
