This article is more than 10 years old

This article is more than 10 years old

It was a bold, even desperate, attempt by China's leaders to cut the shocking death toll in its pits: send bosses into the shaft with the miners.

But Chinese media reported today that one mine had responded by appointing substitutes, increasing cynicism about whether senior mine staff will comply.

The order from China's premier, Wen Jiabao, was apparently prompted by an increase in the high death toll in the country's mines, after several years' of sharp decline.

Last year saw more than 2,600 deaths – down from a peak of almost 7,000 in 2002. But there were 1,261 in the first half of this year; an increase from 1,175 in the same period of 2009. It is thought the increase reflected pressure to produce as the economic recovery raised demand.

Wen ordered the new policy in July, although China Daily said the regulation comes into effect next month. Pit "leaders" must go below ground with miners or face fines of up to 80% of their annual income.

While many admired the intention, they had already questioned compliance levels since Wen's announcement – pointing to fatal accidents in which mining officials were unharmed.

"Who knew that every boss who goes into the shaft is a god: Flooding, explosions, whatever it is, they can always fly free," said a scathing commentary by the state news agency Xinhua last month.

Today China Daily reported that bosses at a pit in the southern Guangxi Zhuang autonomous region had promoted seven workers to "assistants to managers" to enter the shafts instead.

Li Jian, a manager at the privately owned Hongshan Chaoyang coal mining company, told China Daily that the rule did not define exactly who constituted a leader, but said the term applied to "important people in charge, members of the leadership, and chief and deputy chief engineers".

He added: "We only chose those whom we deemed eligible and experienced to effectively supervise and ensure safe underground production. If our move is wrong, we'll correct it."

Another employee in the management office told the Guardian the assistants were promoted because they were qualified and experienced technicians, not because of the policy.

But he added: "The big leaders and bosses have other important things to do. We cannot have everyone underground, otherwise how do we conduct our work?"

A spokesman at the law enforcement and inspection office of the Guangxi bureau of coal mine safety supervision said it had not heard of substitutes being used.

"The policy is a novel idea, but as we know it doesn't matter what the rules and regulations are in China – someone is always going to find a way around them," said Geoff Crothall, of Hong Kong-based China Labour Bulletin.

He said the mining industry needed thorough reform, with workers paid decent wages and trained to protect their colleagues' safety.

Additional research by Lin Yi