Government must resolve long-term problems for UK coal industry, says TUC

27 Mar 2015 03:45 PM

Responding to yesterday’s (Thursday) announcement on the future of the UK Coal mines, TUC General Secretary Frances O’Grady said:

“Immediate help for UK Coal workers and their families is welcome, but this announcement doesn’t resolve the long-term problems facing the UK coal industry, in terms of both job and energy security.

“The government needs to find an alternative strategy that offers better energy and job security. Our EU competitors provide significant long-term state support for their mining industries, and here in the UK we should do the same.”

NOTES TO EDITORS:

- In 2014, the TUC and NUM published Merits of UK Coal State Aid, an independent consultant's analysis by Orion Innovations and cross checked with UK Coal, which showed that its Kellingley and Thoresby mines offered the prospect of a cash neutral outcome if operations supported by State Aid were to continue through to 2018, with development costs of £63m to £74m, and operating profits in excess of £80m by that date. The full report is available at:

https://www.tuc.org.uk/economic-issues/industrial-issues/energy/union-issues/merits-uk-coal-state-aid

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