Clydesdale MP David Mundell has expressed his concern for the future of hundreds of Scottish coal workers, many of whom come from his constituency.
Hundreds of workers at Scottish Coal are to be made redundant as the company faces major financial difficulties, with staff being told the firm must ‘immediately downsize’.
The Scottish Resources Group, which owns the coal mining operations, is planning to shed around 450 jobs across its sites, including those in Clydesdale.
The company also wants to close their Fife headquarters and instead use a Clydesdale opencast as their base. The company’s shock decision comes because of the ‘continued depression of the international coal price has led to coal sales contracts with generators being uneconomic’.
The local MP, David Mundell, said this week: “News of hundreds of job losses within Scottish Coal is very regrettable, for they are an important employer within rural Clydesdale.
“And as the company go through the redundancy notice period, due to end in June, this must be a most unsettling time for the workforce and their families.
“I can only hope this has a satisfactory outcome, and that Scottish Coal are able to continue supplying secure, affordable energy supplies to consumers and continue to provide job opportunities in rural Scotland.”