SIPTU and Tara Mines management are to meet this morning to consider a Labour Court recommendation aimed at averting the closure of the Navan plant and the loss of 600 jobs.
The recommendation, issued late yesterday, urges the workforce to accept cost-cutting measures. They should use a joint steering committee and monitoring procedures to resolve outstanding differences.
SIPTU officials will report on any progress in this morning's negotiations to a meeting of miners and general operatives tomorrow in Navan. These two groups have so far rejected the cost-cutting proposals recommended by a joint committee of management and union representatives.
Other employees in the mine have voted to accept the changes. Management says it will put in place tougher cost-cutting measures from Sunday, if the miners and general operatives continue to oppose the joint committee's proposals.
The workers opposed to the proposals face the most drastic changes. The company, which is Finnish owned, wants productivity increased by 25 per cent and costs cut by 14 per cent. Miners and general operatives comprise about half the workforce and are members of SIPTU.
The union is also involved in a dispute with Arcon, which operates the Galmoy lead and zinc mine in Kilkenny.
Yesterday SIPTU mounted strike pickets in pursuit of a pay claim on behalf of 60 miners and mill workers at Galmoy. They earn £15,000 to £17,000 a year, which is between a half and a third of miners' earnings at Tara.
Arcon says it is prepared to negotiate if the strike action is ended, but SIPTU says it has twice deferred strike action on the basis of similar promises. Arcon says it will pay all the general increases due under Partnership 2000, starting in March.