THE full extent of mining job cuts can today be revealed.

A document, obtained by The Northern Echo, shows how ICL UK aims to pare back its workforce across a number of divisions.

However, ICL last night said no final decision has been made, adding the figures are an initial assessment of potential changes.

The numbers indicate a 449-strong team, referred to as manual, could be reduced by 20 per cent to 361, while another area, labelled technical, faces losing 68 staff from an existing workforce of more than 200.

Under the proposals, managerial posts would also fall 25 per cent to 124 staff, with 16 office-based jobs potentially dropping to just five.

ICL, in Boulby, east Cleveland, employs more than 1,000 people.

However, it expects to cut about 350 jobs early next year after finding lower-than-expected reserves of its potash fertiliser, which will affect around 220 direct staff and 140 contractors.

The document handed to The Northern Echo refers to the 220 ICL workers.

A spokesman said nothing has been finalised on staffing levels.

He said: “As part of the statutory consultation process, initial indicative information on the proposed redundancies has to be submitted to the Government and recognised trade unions.

“It must be stressed the consultation process has only just begun and, as we have made clear to staff, no decisions will be finalised until we have properly and fully consulted with the trade unions.”

A further 350 people are expected to go in 2018 when ICL’s vast tunnels of potash stock are fully exhausted.

However, the spokesman said despite the changes, ICL will remain east Cleveland’s largest employer, with about 400 staff from 2018 onwards.

The company, known locally as Cleveland Potash, is switching its focus to the fertiliser polyhalite, which it markets as polysulphate, and is building a factory to crush and process the mineral.

Referring to its polyhalite move, the firm says it will provide a strong foothold in a lucrative market while delivering a viable future for its mine, which has been intrinsic to east Cleveland’s employment landscape since the 1970s.

Speaking earlier this month, Peter Smith, the firm’s executive vice president for potash, said tough decisions had to be made.

He added: “People in the past said there was a long-term future here because they knew there was mineral underground.

“But, when we got to it, we found there is nothing more to mine.

“We have physically come to the point where we have run out of potash producing material.

“We had to make some difficult decisions; we got to the point where we had no choice, we cannot carry on losing money.

“But, behind this bleak short-term outlook, we are about creating a future.

“There is a viable future at the Boulby mine and that is based around polysulphate.”