Management at Tara Mines in County Meath has issued protective notice to all 600 employees of the company. The move comes after industrial action by 200 miners over staffing levels led to a halt in production at the lead and zinc mine this morning. Talks between unions and management at Tara Mines failed to resolve a dispute over the use of contract staff. Negotiations that had lasted 22 hours broke down this morning. The union representing the 220 workers, SIPTU, placed pickets on the mine.
SIPTU says that the dispute is due to management's failure to adhere to the terms of a rationalisation agreement, concluded in February, which provided for the training of employees to the level of miner, by the end of September. SIPTU Regional Secretary Mike Jennings said that the union is prepared to extend the time scale for the fulfilment of the agreement. However, management is insisting on the inclusion of a range of “get-out” clauses.
