Peabody Energy has struck a deal with the workers’ union and coal terminal (PKCT) to move 50,000 tonnes of coal to Port Kembla by rail, shrinking the coal stockpile at its Metropolitan mine at Helensburgh.

The Construction, Forestry, Mining and Energy Union said it had offered a skeleton crew to unload the coal during its planned industrial action.

“The union understands that as a result of the workers’ protected stoppage action coal stockpiles have reached a critical point at Helensburgh, and this could have safety or operational issues for workers there,” district vice-president Bob Timbs said.

Mr Timbs acknowledged stoppages at PKCT would hurt some mines, and said the union would try to ‘‘lessen the impact on smaller operators’’.

The union said its offer was on the condition the work was completed within 14 days, and that it would consider similar requests from other terminal users.

A Peabody Energy spokeswoman said Metropolitan workers were now focusing on the mine’s development area and modernisation, and that longwall mining had stopped at this stage.

‘‘The management at the mine has re-engineered the sequence of working to focus on the development panel at this stage because the stockpile is quite high,’’ she said.

A prolonged coal terminal stoppage might have a greater impact on the mine’s operations and possibly its workforce, she said.

The spokeswoman emphasised Peabody’s safety focus and said the removal of 50,000 tonnes would bring the stockpile to a ‘‘safe, more manageable level’’.

Expansion work at Metropolitan meant the mine’s surface area was constrained, she said.

Meanwhile, PKCT workers will walk off the job again tomorrow for a second 48-hour stoppage.

PKCT general manager Peter Green said the company was disappointed that the union intended to continue with its action ‘‘which is unnecessary and unhelpful in trying to resolve the issue effectively’’.