MORE than 1,000 North-East electronics workers whose jobs were under threat have been given a stay of execution.

A question mark has hung over LG Philips plants, in Durham City and Washington, since the leaking of an internal discussion document suggesting that the firm was considering closing them.

According to the document, LG Philips - which makes tubes for televisions and computer monitors, and also has plants in Blackburn and Newport - wanted to shift production to cheaper eastern European countries.

Yesterday, the unions were given their most hopeful message yet at a meeting with Jim Smith, LG Philips's European managing director.

After the meeting, Mr Smith said: "So far, no decisions have been made to discontinue any of our European operations other than those already announced."

But he added: "If such decisions are taken in the future, they will be driven by the ability of individual locations to compete against European and global competition."

Mr Smith said the firm would concentrate on improving its plants' performance, and stressed that the company was enjoying peak sales.

Danny Carrigan, of engineering union Amicus, said that while management had given no guarantees, he was hopeful.

"We know the company is going to be around in Durham for the next couple of years and in that time it's all to play for."