The Doncaster-based mining company that owns Arley’s Daw Mill Colliery has hit back at criticism of redundancies at the site.

Officials at RJB Mining, who operate 15 collieries across the country, are thought to be furious about a local media report which suggested that the redundancies were a fresh announcement.

RJB spokesman Stuart Oliver believes that the reports have reflected unfairly on the company.

He said:

"The news of these job losses is not recent. When we invested in Daw Mill three months ago it was announced that there would be phased job losses and all that has happened is that these have started coming into play.

"Reports that make it sound as if something unplanned is happening are unfair and untrue, all that has happened is that some of the media in the area are 90 days late with their news."

When RJB took over the colliery in November there were 700 employees but it is believed that this number will be reduced to around 500 by the end of 1999.

The first phase will see 50 employees take voluntary redundancy, but Oliver would not reveal when this would happen.

He said:

"The voluntary redundancies will happen fairly soon but I do not want to get into the nitty gritty of when men are going because that is a personal matter for them."

Oliver was also keen to point out all of the positive aspects of RJB’s take-over of Daw Mill, including some major investment.

"We have put £4-£5 million into finding and expanding new reserves in the south of the mine to keep mining in the area going, as well as investing £15 million in new equipment to keep everything there up to date.

"As far as we are concerned everything at Daw Mill is going exactly the way we expected it to."