Workers at Tara Mines have voted to accept a deal brokered between unions and management around their terms and conditions during a temporary closure.
The Co Meath operation is to go into a "care and maintenance" period tomorrow, and 650 workers will be laid off.
Today's agreement was accepted by an overall majority among members of three unions, SIPTU, Unite and Connect, by a 60/40 majority.
Some workers at Tara Mines have been told they could finish work from midday today, as the operation winds down and officially enters care and maintenance from tomorrow morning.
Boliden said the decision on the temporary closure was taken to "safeguard the long term future of the mine".
It said that the management team will remain in dialogue with the employees and stakeholders throughout this period.
Speaking following the result, John Regan from SIPTU said that workers had their democratic right to vote on the proposals put forward, and decided it was good enough for them to move on.
Mr Regan said that the focus will now move to getting the mine reopened.
"The reality is the work only begins now, we are going to have to be pressurising the company and the Government to make sure the mine gets back into operation at the earliest opportunity. We are committed to doing that, along with the shop stewards", he said.
As part of the deal agreed, workers will be paid a retainer of €65 per week, an early retirement package has been agreed and workers can return to the mine on the same terms and conditions when it reopens.
Mr Regan said they were still "completely in the dark" about how long this period would continue, describing it as "indefinitely" rather than "temporary".
He said that the temporary closure of the mine represented a "huge blow" to the local economy.
"It's going to be devastating for a lot of businesses around Meath. Particularly around Navan. I don’t know if the Government and Navan realises this is a huge impact. We need them to step in to make sure we get this mine opened early," he said.
Unions will meet with management again in two weeks' time, and the care and maintenance period will be reviewed on 12 October.
A skeleton staff will continue working at the site for the duration of this period, though the exact number of personnel involved is unclear.
Unions say that around 100 workers will have access to some work, but that could be on a job-share basis.
During this time, the work will involve making sure the machinery is ready to run when the mine reopens and full production resumes and making sure the mine does not flood.
'We need to get it open again'
Minister for Enterprise Simon Coveney said the Government is looking at what the State can do to support the reopening of Tara Mines.
Speaking today, Mr Coveney said they are looking at what financial supports can be provided.
"What we're doing now is we're looking at what the State can do to actually support the reopening of what I regard as a very strategic part of the Irish economy in Tara Mines," he said.
"It's the largest zinc mine in Europe, it has a strategic place not only in the Irish economy but in the EU's economy," the minister said.
"We need to get it open again, we're focused on how we can provide financial supports within the state aid rules to do that and we're speaking to the European Commission on how best to do that at the moment," he added.
SIPTU's Adrian Kane said there is anger and resignation among workers, who are in "limbo" as to when the mines will reopen.
He called on the Government to support workers "while the detail is being worked through of a longer term scheme".
"We will be leading a campaign to make sure that happens," Mr Kane said.
