Disabled Tara miners lose certain pension benefits in court ruling

TARA Mines has won a Supreme Court order allowing it exclude up to 80 disabled former miners with the company from certain substantial pension benefits made available to existing employees.

A three judge Supreme Court yesterday allowed the appeal by Boliden Tara Mines Ltd against a High Court ruling that former workers in receipt of benefits under the Income Continuance Plan of the company were also entitled to certain pension benefits sanctioned for the Tara Mines Pension Plan in 1999.

The High Court decision meant disabled workers receiving income continuance payments (the ICP group) would, in common with existing employees, not be subject to substantial deductions from their pensions.