Mineworkers being made redundant by the closure of Rio Tinto's Blair Athol mine in Central Queensland will strike for 36 hours, saying the company discriminates against union members.

The mine is scheduled to close on 23 November and Glenn Power from the Construction Forestry Mining and Energy Union (CFMEU) said Rio's decision to pay union members lower redundancies than those on individual agreements, highlights its anti-union agenda.

Workers will begin protected industrial action from Tuesday, undertaking three shift-length stoppages across 36 hours.

Mr Power said the strike would show Rio boss Sam Walsh that short-changing a section of the workforce won't be tolerated.

"Workers don't take the prospect of strike action lightly," Mr Power said in a statement.

"But when faced with a much lower redundancy package than someone they've worked alongside for years, these workers are determined to tell Rio that the company can't get away with this parting shot of discrimination."

The CFMEU said it is currently assessing legal options for affected workers.

Related links:

Rio Tinto

Construction Forestry Mining and Energy Union