Workers at Arcon put on protective notice

Two hundred workers at zinc producer Arcon are in danger of losing their jobs after pay talks between management and unions broke down.

Arcon’s Galmoy mine in Co Kilkenny has been put on protective notice after trade unions’ reintroduced an overtime ban, the company said in a statement issued today.

It said that the reduction in production levels, the low price of zinc and the weakness in the US dollar have led to unsustainable losses.

Earlier this year the company reported a 19% fall in Euro zinc prices and turnover of €11m.