Anglo American Confirms More than 100 Job Losses at Whitby Mine

News of ‘shocking’ job cuts at the Woodsmith mine in Whitby has been met with calls for long-term staff jobs to be saved.

Anglo American has confirmed that around half of the jobs at its Woodsmith fertiliser mine in Whitby will be lost amid plans to slow down the project and cut costs.

Capital investment in the scheme is set to be reduced from a planned £800m a year up to 2027 to £160m next year following the rejection of a multibillion-pound takeover bid by BHP.

Tom McCulley CEO said:

“We are slowing down the development of Woodsmith in a way that allows us to accelerate again as soon as we can.”

A company spokesperson told the Local Democracy Reporting Service (LDRS):

“We are still in a consultation period but the proposed changes will see the Anglo American workforce gradually reduce over the coming year by approximately 50 per cent to 160 people.”

The spokesperson said they did not know “the exact numbers” of impacted roles for contractor partners but added that reductions would be gradual as the work slows “over the coming 12 months”.

The operation of the mine is understood to cost more than £2m a day.

Councillor Neil Swannick, who represents the Whitby Streonshalh division, said he was “shocked” by the news of redundancies and had

“pressed North Yorkshire Council to help staff and businesses affected find alternative employment and financial advice in the present crisis”.

He added:

“I would like to hear a commitment from the senior management of Anglo American that they will prioritise the retention of local long-term employees and rehire locally if and when the company finds strategic partners to enable the project to gear up again in the future.”

The newly created York and North Yorkshire Combined Authority says it will be taking steps to ensure that people affected by any job losses at the mine are given help to find new employment. Interim Head of Paid Services, James Farrar, said:

“The announcement surrounding the future of Anglo American’s Woodsmith Project is understandably of concern to the many staff, and associated businesses, which depend on the long-term viability of the site.

“The mine is a major regional employer, drawing its workforce from Scarborough, Whitby and other nearby rural and urban areas. While York and North Yorkshire Combined Authority (YNYCA) is disappointed to learn of Anglo American’s decision to slow development at the Woodsmith Project, we consider the mine integral to our economic ambitions as a region.

“The Combined Authority and the York and North Yorkshire Mayor have, therefore, committed to ensuring every affected employee at the Woodsmith Project is connected to opportunities for reemployment, skills training and small-business support.

“I’d like to reassure those affected workers that we are listening to you and that through a multi-agency approach we will ensure you have access to the full range of available support services. Meanwhile we will continue to work closely with Anglo American in navigating this challenging period and supporting the company’s long-term commitment to polyhalite fertiliser extraction in our region”.

When asked what action North Yorkshire Council was taking to support affected staff earlier this month, the authority’s corporate director for community development, Nic Harne, said:

“We and neighbouring local authorities are working with Anglo American to provide help and support to the company’s plans to minimise impacts on both individuals and businesses.”

Anglo American CEO Mr McCulley said:

“We know that this slowdown is hard for everyone affected, and we are doing everything we can to minimise the impact on our workforce and the local community. The support we have for the project has been fantastic and we are determined to try to sustain that trust during this difficult phase.

“We are currently working closely with a number of local organisations on a workforce and supply chain support programme that will help people affected by the slowdown to find new roles in the local area through our partnerships with other businesses, suppliers and local councils.”