Tara Mines has begun notifying 600 employees that its lead/zinc plant is being put on a "care and maintenance" basis because of strike action by miners. It envisages 200 layoffs by December 15th, and most of the remaining workforce will be let go by the end of the year.
The company's managing director, Mr Charlie Brown, blamed the situation on the strike by 230 SIPTU miners, who claim the company has breached an agreement in February to recruit and train more underground personnel instead of using contract miners. Mr Brown said the company had been in talks for 22 hours on November 16th in an effort to avert the strike.
He claimed SIPTU's decision to picket the railway connection for exporting ore had speeded the shut-down process.
SIPTU's regional secretary, Mr Mike Jennings, said the company had invited the union to "a blame culture" debate rather than negotiate a settlement.
The company says production would fall 25 per cent without the experienced contract miners, and the mine would rapidly become unviable. Mr Jennings said the company would not be in this position if it had implemented training agreed in February. There are no plans for talks.