Job losses likely at UK Coal

UK Coal is set to shed 200 jobs at its Daw Mill Colliery.

The workforce at the Warwickshire mine is to shrink from 700 to 500 by September despite the fact that production targets have been met, according to the Union of Democratic Mineworkers (UDM).

Earlier this year, Doncaster-based UK Coal said it is considering plans to shut the mine, between Tamworth and Coventry, as part of a wider restructuring of the group.

The company said it would only be retained beyond 2013 if it could find a “lower risk operating model”.

In March UK Coal said the Daw Mill mine was 175,000 tonnes behind budget and managing director for mining Gareth Williams was charged with finding ways of improving production.

The UDM says it will not oppose redundancies as long as they are voluntary.

Daw Mill is one of just five deep pits remaining in the UK.