IBM's Scottish staff in tense wait for job news

SCOTTISH staff at IBM’s plant in Greenock were today waiting to hear how many of them will lose their jobs after the computer giant confirmed plans to axe 13,000 posts across Europe at a cost of up to £940 million.

The UK, where "Big Blue" employs about 25 per cent of its 100,000 European staff, is expected to take the brunt of the cuts. IBM employs 2800 workers at its Greenock plant. Chief financial officer Mark Loughridge warned in April that the company planned a "sizeable restructuring", around the same time as it unveiled disappointing first-quarter results.

IBM, which operates from 35 sites in the UK, said it would run fewer services offices worldwide and reduce European managers.

An IBM spokesman said the company was not able to provide further details on where the jobs will go at this stage.

Amicus union’s national officer Peter Skyte described the job cuts as "a slash and burn approach" to the poor first-quarter figures.