I DON’T think I have ever seen such tactics used by a government before (The Press, April 11). The energy minister has said to the miners that if they do not sign up to the closure of their pits they will close next week instead of in 18 months time.

What a decision to put before any workforce. Be damned now or damned later. This all suggests an abuse of power close to political blackmail.

The miners have been brave and courageous people all their lives and deserve to be treated better than this government and previous Conservative governments send their way.

Basically they seem to be saying to the miners, accept the dirt that we are offering you, rather than digging the coal and the dirt that we need desperately to keep the lights on in our country.

There are millions of tons of coal still below our feet.

Let’s hope the electorate remember this when MPs from mining areas (including the silent Mr Clegg, on this matter) are next up for election in 2015 and vote them out of office and a far easier working life than any miner has ever had to endure.

Howard Perry, St James Place, Dringhouses, York.