Computer jobs under threat.(Business) - Daily Post (Liverpool, England)

Byline: Kim Munro

MORE than 160 jobs are under threat at a computer plant.

Electronics firm NEC Computers International said it was ``assessing the viability"" of keeping production at its plant in Kirkton, Livingston.

In a statement, Charles Matine, the company"s European communications director, said it planned to keep capacity at the Livingston facility but was looking at the prospect of maintaining production ``in-house"" or passing it to a third party.

He said: ``For other types of activities like desktops and servers, European assembly capacity is still needed, as we see no benefit for customers from manufacturing these products in China.

``As far as our facility in Livingston is concerned, NEC CI plans to keep capacity but is still assessing the viability of maintaining in-house or giving to third party.""

The Scottish Executive said it was remaining in close discussions with the company about the maintenance of production operations at Livingston.

A spokesman said: ``Following detailed discussions with senior executives in Japan and France this morning, it is likely that a need for PC production in Europe will remain.""

NEC CI is Europe"s sixth largest manufacturer of personal computers, supplying the market with the Packard Bell brand.

SNP shadow economy and enterprise minister Andrew Wilson MSP claimed Scotland was facing a ``meltdown"" in its manufacturing sector. ``We need to equip our government with the powers to place our economy at a competitive advantage to the rest of the UK and Europe.""