Maltby Colliery made losses of �83m last year

Coal miners have been told to change their working hours or face the dole queue.

UK Coal has written to every pit deputy at Maltby Colliery, near Rotherham, urging them to agree to more flexible working conditions.

And the 500 workers have received letters stating unless safety officials sign up to the changes the mine will be forced to close.

The pit made losses of �83m last year.

The workers are represented by union Nacod. Branch secretary Andy Cadnan said: "Nacod is not against flexible working but in the past UK Coal has insinuated it wanted a national flexible working agreement.

"They now seem to be back-tracking on that and instead have approached people individually, threatening them with their livelihood if they don't accept a change in terms and conditions."

Stuart Oliver from UK Coal said: "Without flexible working Maltby Colliery will not be viable. We can't continue to operate non-viable pits."