UNION leaders are seeking urgent talks with an electronics firm after it emerged that it was considering axing thousands of jobs, including more than 1,000 at two North-East plants.

A leaked "internal discussion" document reveals how LG Philips is considering closing four factories - in Durham and nearby Washington, in Blackburn, and in Newport, South Wales - with the loss of 3,000 jobs.

The move would enable it to save money by switching the production of tubes for televisions and computer monitors to cheaper countries in eastern Europe.

Engineering union Amicus's national officer Danny Carrigan - who has seen the document - has written to the company asking it to make its intentions clear.

He said: "I genuinely hope that this is theoretical but I have my doubts. We have been involved with the company for more than 20 years and they have gone to eastern Europe in a number of areas.

"The company owes it to the employees to tell them what lies in store for them in the future."

News of the jobs threat comes after LG Philips announced in April that it was shedding 300 jobs at its Washington plant.

The company said then the plant would continue as a centre for research and development with a workforce of 120. At the time it was thought that the 1,000 jobs at the Durham plant were safe.

Carol McFarlane, an Amicus regional organiser, said staff would be worried. But she added: "I spoke to the company yesterday and they have confirmed that the situation as they know it is still the same, and we are hoping that's the case."

A spokeswoman for LG Philips regretted " any confusion that has been caused by the unauthorised release" of internal discussion documents.

She said: "There are many different scenarios worldwide which are discussed and evaluated to make sure we are competitive, but nothing has been finalised."

The spokeswoman added that staff would be the first to hear if any decisions were taken.

LG Philips Displays, a joint venture between Dutch company Philips and Korean-based LG, makes deflection yokes, a device fitted to television tubes, at its factory in Washington.

The Durham operation, a familiar sight beside the A1M, makes tubes for TVs and monitors. Comment - Page