The Scottish Government has pledged to protect Scotland’s coal industry following the closure of six mines, including one in Fife, last week.
Energy Minister Fergus Ewing has said that all will be done to protect jobs in the sector following Friday’s news that mine operator Scottish Coal had gone into administration.
Among those affected are 18 of the 28 workers at the open-cast pit at St Ninian’s, Kelty, while a further two jobs are also expected to be axed at the mothballed Blair House site at Oakley.
However, liquidator Blair Nimmo has offered some hope by stating that operations at some sites could continue in the short term.
Mr Ewing said: “Our concerns remain with the workers and families affected by the decision to make 590 Scottish Coal staff redundant.
“However, I very much welcome the view from the liquidators that there is a possibility that mining operations may continue.
“The Scottish Government will do everything we can to secure the continued operation of the business on a sustainable basis and we are in contact with both the liquidators and the trade unions in this regard.
“Meanwhile, Skills Development Scotland will also coordinate local response teams under the Partnership Action for Continuing Employment to provide tailored help and support for those affected.”
News of Scottish Coal’s collapse comes just two months after the company successfully applied to expand operations at St Ninian’s, which would see the extraction of a further 70,000 tonnes of coal.
It is now not known what the immediate future of the mine is.
Meanwhile, Mr Ewing also announced the creation of a new trust to help communities restore former open-cast sites.
The Scottish Mines Restoration Trust is expected to create hundreds of jobs across Scotland and will work with councils to bring former mines back into public use.
“We have been working closely with the key stakeholders over the past six months to address the issues facing the coal industry in Scotland and we share the concerns raised by local communities around the responsible restoration of open-cast coal sites,” Mr Ewing added.
“Whilst our main concern is to retain as many of the existing Scottish Coal jobs as possible, the restoration process itself is expected, over time, to create hundreds of jobs across the country, as well as restoring the local environment.
“The new Scottish Mines Restoration Trust will engage with local councils, landowners and coal operators to ensure the best possible outcome for local communities and the effective restoration of old open- cast mines.”
The trust will remain independent of the Scottish Government.
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