Staff have voted to accept a deal that will see them return to work at Tara Mines

Staff at Tara Mines have voted to accept a deal that will see work resume at the Navan site this summer.

The decision to return to production at Tara Mines was finalised after votes on a deal thrashed out at the WRC in April were counted this morning (Friday 3rd April) in the Dan Shaw Centre in Navan.

It's understood that workers from each of the Group of Unions (Siptu, Unite and Connect) voted approximately 2:1 in favour of the deal which will see phased production resume in June but will also involve 150 redundancies on top of the roughly 50 jobs already lost to retirements, many of them early, since the mine was closed on a 'care and maintenance' basis last summer. The Group of Unions had recommended to workers that they accept the deal.

It's believed the new workforce will number just over 400 down from 650 before the mine entered Care and Maintenance last July.

SIPTU Sector Organiser, John Regan welcomed the decision and said it had been a very difficult 10 months for the workers and feels that the closure announced last July could have been avoided.

“The work of the Tara Mines GOU will now focus on ensuring the Government makes good on commitments it has provided concerning changes to support the future operation of the mine. These include changes to how royalties are calculated, and the provision of energy subsidies and concessions in relation to the social welfare supports that the laid-off workforce will continue to require until the mine returns to full operation.

“Our members have made sacrifices to return this mine to full operation. In this ballot, they have decisively placed the interests of their local communities, which are heavily dependent on the economic benefits Tara Mines brings, and the future of the facility to the fore.”

"The company did not engage with us. We could have avoided Care and Maintenance, we avoided it in 2012, so we have a track record in doing so, but for some unknown reason, between management locally and the Boliden board, they didn't want to engage. The disappointing part in all this is that the deal that has been struck up has not been negotiated in the traditional way."

Mr Regan said it was hope that the agreement delivered in the "interest of all, company and workers", but said he had reservations that problems could emerge because of the lack of engagement."

"It's all very questionable how this is going to work, the company have not shown us how redeployment is going to work or a training plan and it all is very open-ended. We now have an agreement and we expect it to be honoured in full.

"What we want to see over the next couple of weeks is a twin-road approach where the redundancies are sought and people will come in to do the work that needs to be done. That mine is out of condition, it's been nine months now and going to require a hell of a lot labour to get this mine into the right place. That should happen immediately.

"Let's get this mine working and let's get it delivering for everyone."

SIPTU Organiser, Andrew McGuiness, said: “This has been a decisive vote in favour of the proposals by members of all the unions which make up the Tara Mines GOU. SIPTU members voted by 67% to 33% to accept the proposals while similar sizable majorities in favour were also returned by Connect and Unite.”

Connect Regional Secretary, Tom Faulkner, said: “Workers have had to accept a lot of change and there is a significant number of voluntary redundancies included within these proposals. However, this vote should allow for the immediate commencement of the process of fully reopening the mine and secure the economic benefits of its operation into the future.”

Unite Regional Officer, Brian Hewitt, said: “Overall we believe this a positive day for Tara Mines, our members and the surrounding communities. Tara Mines is a very important resource extraction facility which is key to zinc and other metal production not only in Ireland but wider within Europe and globally.”

Reacting to the news, Tara Mines general manager Gunnar Nyström said:

"I am pleased that the agreement has been accepted. The last number of months have been very difficult for our employees, their families and the wider community. I would like to thank our employees for their patience during this difficult period.

"The result of the ballot is welcome and will enable us to move forward. We will now begin the process of re-opening and employees will commence their return to work on a phased basis. We will communicate next steps with our employees in the coming weeks. We look forward to welcoming them back to work."

Minister for Enterpriser Trade and Employment, Peter Burke said: "I welcome today’s announcement that agreement has been reached on a plan for the reopening of Tara Mines, following extensive discussions between management and trade unions facilitated by the Workplace Relations Commission.

"The closure of the mine since July last year has had a significant impact on workers and their families, and on the wider community in the region. I want to commend all parties for the efforts that they have made to ensure a positive outcome in difficult circumstances. Government will ensure that all available supports are put in place for workers that choose to take voluntary redundancy, including supports for retraining and job search assistance.

"Tara Mines is a major employer operating in an important sector and the Government is committed to exploring the possibility of strategic supports to incentivise longer term investment by Boliden in Tara Mines."

Minister for Sport and Meath East TD, Thomas Byrne said: "I welcome today’s announcement that agreement has been reached on a plan for the reopening of Tara Mines, following extensive discussions between management and trade unions facilitated by the Workplace Relations Commission.

"I want to acknowledge how difficult the past number of months have been on the workers and their families and look forward to the reopening of the mines in the coming weeks and months ahead."

Michael Hughes, President County Meath Chamber “This is wonderful news for employees and the wider community in Meath. Well done and thank you to all involved in reaching agreement to reopen Tara Mines. There’s a real sense of anticipation, enthusiasm and hope amongst retailers and shoppers in Navan today - Tara Mines has always been a pillar of support for businesses in Navan town and the wider region for generations. We wish them well"