NEC denies Scottish plant closure plans

Workers not convinced...

NEC has denied reports it has any immediate plans to close its PC factory in Livingston, Scotland. However, press statements from the company will provide scant reassurance for the 155 permanent workers concerned they are about to be the victim of a reorganisation of the firm's business. In a statement to the UK press NEC said: "NEC's Livingston manufacturing facility will continue to produce desktops for the UK." But Scottish factory workers are only guaranteed jobs for the "immediate" future. The statement added: "There are no immediate plans to outsource production at present however, in line with the majority of PC manufacturers NEC continually assesses its manufacturing strategy." In addition, a global press release issued by NEC Computers International makes even more depressing reading for UK workers, with NEC admitting it is currently considering outsourcing the operation. It said: "NEC CI confirms that notebooks activities has been transferred to China from both our Livingston (Scotland) and Penang (Malaysia) facilities. "As far as our facility in Livingston is concerned, NEC CI plans to keep capacity but is assessing the viability of maintaining in house or transferring the Livingston operation to a OEM manufacturer."