Talks on alternative to Tara Mines shutdown to begin on Monday
650 Mark Been Have By Things Stand Moment, Mines Laid At Photo: As Ie Stedman/rollingnews Around Temporarily Tara Workers The Off File
Boliden Tara Mines management is to enter talks with unions on Monday in an attempt to find an alternative to shutting down the plant, according to Siptu.
The union's divisional co-ordinator Adrian Kane said that while that might be cause for optimism, there is still plenty to talk about. The company has, he said, agreed to explore alternatives to care and maintenance and total lay-off of workers, most of whom are represented by Siptu. Unite and Connect also represent workers.
The agreement came after talks between unions and management this morning. “We are beginning negotiations on Monday to explore alternatives,” he said. “The situation is more positive than on Tuesday.
“Obviously, we will have to see what this process yields. I don’t want to be overly optimistic. There is a lot of talking that will need to be done.
“But at least the company has now agreed to explore alternatives and we are just going to have to see where that leads us.”
The union has previously said the company has handled the whole thing very badly and that it is “not what would have been expected of them” after decades of a good working relationship between the workers and company.
Mr Kane said he believes the intervention of Enterprise Minister Simon Coveney helped. “We met with him (on Thursday) and we had a positive engagement with him,” he said.
“We certainly welcome his interventions to date.”
While rumours of a closure emerged in the week up to Tuesday’s shock announcement, a number of contractors were told in and around May 31 that they would be let go.
As things stand at the moment, around 650 workers have been temporarily laid off by Tara Mines, which opened in 1977 and which now produces more than two million tonnes of zinc per year. Those jobs are on top of around 200 private contractors who are also understood to have been let go.
According to the Boliden Summary Report of Tara Mines Resources and Reserves 2021, mineral reserves at the mines represented “an equivalent amount for seven years of full production”.
Inflation coupled with energy costs, which are understood to include a €3 million-a-week electricity bill, are understood to be behind the decision to temporarily shut the plant down.