Tara Mines staff await outcome of vote on proposals for work return
A RETURN to production at Tara Mines hangs in the balance this week, as workers continue to vote on a deal aimed at reopening the facility.
Workers and management will learn whether the mine will open on a phased basis, starting in June, when votes on the deal are counted on Friday morning in the Dan Shaw Centre in Navan.
About 400 workers attended a meeting on Thursday evening at Simonstown GAA club to discuss the deal, which provides for about 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 at the time are recommending the deal.
SIPTU's John Regan said there had been a challenging atmosphere at Thursday's meeting. “There were a lot of different views and opinions and a lot of anger and frustration over the mine not opening as quickly as people would have liked. It has been a very rough time for the workers,” he said.
Among those hoping for a return to work this summer is Ken Reilly who says it has been “a tough nine months.”
“I'm waiting to hear now, if we will be going back.
“The company hasn't been very helpful in trying to get us back to work, we have been negotiating since before Christmas. It is a far from perfect deal.
“People have been out of work for nine months, savings are used up. The workforce has given long service to the company and it is unfortunate the way it turned out.
“I hope if we go back that we can rebuild on our terms and conditions and regain and rebuild the workforce over time.
“There are a lot of young people with mortgages hoping to get back to work.
“It is not a perfect deal considering we worked through Covid and the flooding, but hopefully now we will get the place open and get back to work.
“A lot of people are very upset and annoyed at the company's plans and it was a hard battle to get the deal we got,” he said.
Gerry Devins said he will be studying the redundancy package and talking with his family before he makes a decision about going back to work.
He hopes the deal will be accepted as it will mean an end in sight for workers who have gone through such a troublesome period.
“Back in 2001 when the mine was previously in care and maintenance, inflation wasn't so high, there was no Universal Social Charge. It has been very tough for employees this time.
“I'm disappointed that Minister Heather Humphreys didn't bring forward legislation that would allow unemployment assistance be paid as a percentage of earnings.
“The outsourcing of jobs sticks in my throat, but the deal is here and it was the best we could get. The rest now is up to the members. We have to wait now until the votes are counted,” he said.
“An end is in sight for the workers and the local economy.”