Wendy Alexander: Asked to help

FCI remained confident that "large opportunities" continued to exist within the market.

The company recently invested �13.5m in the Gourock plant.

Management met trade union and works representatives on Friday to confirm the redundancy plan.

Labour MSP for Greenock and Inverclyde Duncan McNeil tabled a motion in the Scottish Parliament urging swift action to reduce the scale of the job losses.

Mr McNeil said he was "deeply concerned at the effects of this announcement for the Fullarton workers and their families".

'Come together'

He added: "However, the fact that the redundancies will not commence until February 2001 gives us 90 days to take action.

"It is now time for everyone with an interest in this situation to come together and work to reduce the impact of these redundancies."

Mr McNeil plans to ask Enterprise Minister Wendy Alexander to step in with help.

The job losses come a month after the Japanese company Oki announced it was shedding 240 full-time staff and 100 temporary workers at its Cumbernauld plant.

The company, which makes printers and fax machines, employs a total of 900 staff in Scotland.

Oki, which has been in Scotland for 13 years, blamed the strength of the pound and the weakness of the euro. The jobs will be transferred to Thailand.