Workers staging a protest at the gates of Tara Mines called off their action yesterday after a deal was struck at the Workplace Relations Commission.
Staff are due to meet on Monday to discuss the agreement – brokered overnight on Friday – ahead of a ballot to be held on Tuesday. Under the deal, workers will be offered an extra allowance on top of State benefits, but up to 650 employees are still set to be laid off next Friday.
There will be an increase in the number of workers carrying out “care and maintenance” work at the zinc mine, previously agreed at 40, after its closure. Unions Siptu, Unite and Connect said they had secured a guarantee that staff will return to work on their existing terms and conditions when the mine reopens.
