A DEAL HAS been reached on the standoff between Tara Mines workers and the company’s management.

Trade union members have voted to accept proposals brokered by the Workplace Relations Commission (WRC) over temporary lay-offs at Tara Mines.

Swedish parent company Boliden confirmed last month that production and exploration at the mine would cease temporarily and the mine would be placed “under care and maintenance”.

This would involve the loss of 650 jobs at the Navan mine, which is Europe’s largest zinc mine.

The WRC put forward proposals which include assurances on improved allowances for members facing lay-off and guarantees that workers will return on existing terms and conditions following the proposed temporary closure.

Unions Siptu, Connect and Unite recommended acceptance of the proposals and members approved them today in a ballot.

Siptu announced its final result which showed that members accepted the proposals with a 60% to 40% majority following a ballot.

SIPTU Divisional Organiser Adrian Kane said the union will be meeting later this month with management to discuss the implementation o of the WRC agreement.

A formal review of the WRC proposals and of the future of the mine will take place between union representatives and the owners, Boliden, in October 2023.

“The union will now embark on a major campaign to bring unemployment benefits in line with the EU norm. The reform of our grossly inadequate and unfair social protection system should be the lasting outcome of this dispute,” Kane said.

The union’s sector organiser John Regan said their campaign “now turns to seeking to get the mine back in production at the earliest opportunity”, with the government called on to help with this.