Around 200 job cuts proposed to reopen Tara Mines [Ireland]

RTÉ News ^ | Friday, 5 Jan 2024 19:34 | Laura Hogan, North East Correspondent

[Olog-hai]

Workers at Tara Mines in County Meath have been asked by the company to express their interest in a proposed voluntary severance scheme.

Staff at Europe’s largest zinc mine were today updated by management on its plans to reopen the facility outside Navan in the second quarter of this year.

The site was placed under care and maintenance last June, with 650 workers temporarily laid off.

At the time, the company said it took the decision in response to unsustainable losses, and cited a decline in the price of zinc, high energy costs and inflation as some of the reasons behind its decision.

In a letter to staff today, management said that in order to reopen the mine sustainably, “difficult decisions” would need to be made. The letter outlined a number of “critical factors” that would determine sustainable reopening, including reducing the annual production targets from 2.6 million to 1.8 million tonnes.

Workers were informed that the “most effective and efficient way” of operating at the reduced targets would require a workforce of 405 full-time equivalent roles. There are currently approximately 600 full-time equivalent roles at the mine.

Other factors outlined by the company, include a “concentration on a smaller, more efficient active mining footprint”, redeployment and retraining, a reduced use of contractors, a new style partnership agreement with the group of unions and implementation of new agreements. …

[MCF]

“a new style partnership agreement with the group of unions”
With multiple unions, that is going to be tough. No union will want to take a bigger hit then the others.