Siptu prepared to go to Sweden to speak with management over Tara Mines layoffs
General views of Tara Zinc Mine in Navan Co Meath. More than 600 workers have been impacted after the largest zinc mine in Europe - the Tara Mine in Co Meath - temporarily suspended operations, temporarily stopping production and exploration. Picture: Niall Carson/PA Wire
Siptu has said that the trade union was prepared to go to Sweden to speak with management there about the temporary layoffs announced at Tara Mines earlier this week.
Up to 650 jobs will be affected after it was announced the largest zinc mine in Europe, the Tara Mine in Co Meath, will be temporarily stopping production and exploration.
On Tuesday, the company responsible for the mine’s operation, Boliden, said due to a combination of factors, Tara would be placed under care and maintenance until further notice.
Divisional organiser Adrian Kane said that Siptu had met with Minister for Enterprise, Trade, and Employment Simon Coveney and had asked him to impress upon the company the need to engage with the trade union.
Speaking on , he said: “We did meet with the company on Wednesday and we had asked them to step back from their position and to engage with us to explore every alternative, rather than what they have so far tabled in terms of the lay off of the entire workforce.
"But in the first place, we are going back to re-engage with local management and ask them to reflect on their position. And so we will be in a better position to judge what our next step will be.”
Mr Kane said that the trade union’s priority was to engage with the company, to look at alternatives to what was currently proposed. Everything else was secondary.
He said: “It's hugely problematic that we haven't got a timeline on this and that you go into indefinite layoffs.
"We said to the company on Wednesday that we are prepared to sit down with them and explore what alternatives could be put in place, other than this nuclear option.
"We have a social protection scheme that does not work, that is totally out of line with the rest of Europe. And I think there was some acknowledgment of that by Government with regard to putting in place the PUP payment during the pandemic.
"But we're back down to the system that does not work. It is not a pay-related social insurance model, which was what its intent was when it was put in place back in the 1970s.
“I think there are alternatives that could be explored rather than a total layoff, that is what we would be trying to effect.”
The CEO of Tara Mines in Co Meath has said the decision to temporarily close and lay off up 650 workers was done in the face of “tremendous unsustainable losses”.
Speaking to on Wednesday, Mr Nystrom said the closure was brought about by a “perfect storm” of four factors; falling zinc prices, electricity prices, inflation, and operational issues.
“The zinc market seems to be very volatile at the moment," he said.
The company is owned by Swedish multinational Boliden which also holds zinc mines there.
Mr Nystrom said Tara Mines had been a very high-cost operation and more expensive to run than its other mines.
Meanwhile, Mr Simon Coveney has urged Tara Mines to support its staff while the mine is closed, and warned that it might not have a sufficient workforce when it reopens if these obligations are not met.
Mr Coveney also made his comments on RTÉ’s on Wednesday.
“If they want to make sure they have a workforce in a few months’ time, if and when the mine can reopen and get back to full operations again, then they have an obligation to support that workforce through that difficult period.
“It’s not just the 650 people, there’s about 2,000 people in and around the Navan area that are linked to Tara Mines in one way or another,” said Mr Coveney.
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