TARA Mines could find itself on the brink of closure again today if, as expected, miners at the Navan plant reject new work practices sought by the Finnish-owned company. The result of the ballot will be known later today. Up to 600 employees could face indefinite lay-offs.
About 350 miners and ancillary workers who make up over half of the workforce are being balloted on the proposals. These include a switch from an eight-hour, five-day shift structure to a 10-hour, four-shift system.
Neither the company nor SIPTU representatives were prepared to comment last night, but informed union sources were pessimistic about the outcome. Two previous agreements have not worked and there has been a serious breakdown in trust between the two sides.
The last was brokered in July 1999 by the chairman of Meath County Council, Mr Brian Fitzgerald, former SIPTU president Mr Jimmy Somers and IBEC director Mr Turlough O'Sullivan. This provided for wage cuts of 15 per cent and productivity increases of 23 per cent.
In return, the miners were to receive lump sums worth up to £22,000. However, there was immediate disagreement on the interpretation of the package, especially its productivity measures.
Subsequently absenteeism rose as high as 30 per cent and production dropped to 60 per cent of capacity. Last November Tara's owners, Outkompu, flew in Canadian miners to help cope.
It now wants the workforce to accept the use of contractors throughout the mine. The company has given the miners until Monday to accept the changes. SIPTU is expected to announce the result this afternoon. While the company has not made any comment on its next move, it is expected locally the plant will be "mothballed". This would lead to lay-offs rather than redundancies.