Tara Mines

Tara Mines reprieve

Workers at Tara Mines received a last minute reprieve on Monday when management agreed to a Labour Court request not to put the mine into 'care and maintenance' by this Friday's deadline. Tensions had risen last week when management threatened to effectively close the mine on Friday, putting up to 670 people out of work, if an agreement wasn't reached this week on pay cuts. Meanwhile, in a shock development on Tuesday, the company announced that Ralph Rossouw, who took up the position of general manager at Boliden Tara last month, was leaving the company with immediate notice. He had attended the Labour Court hearing for the company on Monday evening. Both the SIPTU and UNITE trade unions attended the Labour Court this week along with management and the court has asked both unions and the company to attend a hearing next Monday morning at 11am.