Employees from the three unions at Tara Mines have agreed on a plan for a staged reopening of the mine beginning next month. Siptu, the union with the largest representation in the company, voted by a two-to-one ratio (67% to 33%) to accept the plan, despite anticipating an additional reduction of 150 jobs. Members of Connect, which signifies a lesser number of tradespeople at the mine, voted 79% to 21% in favour, while members of Unite voted 72% to 28% in favour.
Adrian Kane, a senior official with Siptu, acknowledged the challenging times workers have faced, due to the vast changes to their work methods and the large number of redundancies. However, he praised the efforts of the unions to achieve the best possible outcome for their members under the circumstances, which was reflected in the poll results.
Kane emphasised that the outcome provides clarity about the mine’s future. He will relay the voting results to the company management, expecting them to hammer out the redundancy deal and proceed with the reopening as per the agreement.
The agreement indicates an expected loss of about 160 jobs, in addition to the approximately 50 staff who left the company since the mine’s temporary closure last summer. The plan also includes significant alterations to rosters and work practices, as well as new outsourcing agreements. However, the core pay rates will be secured for existing employees and future new hires, while some of the company’s rescue plan proposals will now be dropped.
The mine, owned by Boliden and based in Co Meath, was closed last July and all 650 employees were temporarily laid off. The owners pointed to significant and unsustainable financial losses due to escalating energy costs and decreasing global zinc prices.
The drop in revenues for Tara Mines last year was revealed to be 61 per cent, resulting from a decrease in zinc prices, below-average metal grades, a falling US dollar, and a reduced production level due to halted operations. The agreement’s conditions state that the mine will gradually resume on a step-by-step basis in the next few months. It is anticipated that the initial batch of employees will be back at work by June.