‘No thanks after 43 years at Kellingley Colliery’

Around 200 workers left the Weeland Road site earlier this month as its owners UK Coal continue its plan to close the colliery.

But the miners claim they were only given a day’s notice they were going to lose their jobs.

Keith Hartshorne, who has worked at Kellingley for 43 years, said: “I left a fortnight ago and nobody said a word of thanks at all.

“None of us want a brass band playing but I have worked there for 43 years and not one person was there to shake my hand or say thanks .

“It just stinks and sums up how the whole saga of the pit has been handled.”

UK Coal announced last month that mining at the pit will end on or around December 15. Mr Hartshorne also claimed he only received his redundancy letter the morning of the day he left.

He said: “It came to the end of the shift and we just finished.

“It’s never been this way before. We have always finished and gone into the manager’s office and they would thank you for your time.

“We literally just got a letter in the post saying when we were leaving and I didn’t even receive mine until the morning of the day I left. It’s just wrong.

“The way all of the closure has been handled will stick long in the back of the throats of a lot of miners.”

There are around 500 workers left at the site who will work until around December 15 when the colliery will close for good.

The exact closure date will depend on when the miners finish the coal face they will are working on but it is expected to be before Christmas.

Shaun McLoughlin, colliery manager at Kellingley said: “UK Coal recognises that many people employed at Kellingley and Thoresby have dedicated their entire working lives to the UK mining industry, and we would like to thank everyone for their contribution.

“It is unfortunate that some employees left the business feeling that their efforts had not been recognised as I and other management made every effort to see as many people as possible in the last few days of their employment.”