20th
January 2005
Enterprise Minister Heads to China for
Lenovo Talks
Deputy First Minister and Minister for
Enterprise, Jim Wallace, will meet Lenovo bosses when he visits China next week,
it has been revealed.
The
Minister undertook to hold talks with the Chinese company, to whom 500 IBM staff
are set to transfer in April, following a meeting with MSP for Greenock and
Inverclyde, Duncan McNeil, in the Scottish Parliament today.
Speaking
after the meeting, Mr McNeil said:
“Given
the recent experiences of workers in the electronics manufacturing industry who
have been transferred to new a employer, it’s hardly surprising that the IBM
staff moving to Lenovo have concerns. They
are naturally looking for answers about their longer term prospects and I was
keen to meet the Minister to underline this.
“I
am glad that I have now had the chance to put my constituents’ concerns to him
and am delighted that he’ll be raising these matters at the highest level when
he meets with Lenovo during his visit to China.
“Reassuringly,
the Minister also made it clear that he will be seeking to maximise the
opportunities arising from Lenovo’s involvement here in Greenock.
“Finally,
Mr Wallace has promised to discuss the outcome of this meeting with me on his
return and I look forward to hearing what he has to say.”
Following
its announcement in December 2004 that it would sell its personal computing
division to Lenovo, IBM announced at the beginning of this month that 500
Greenock workers will be employed by the Chinese company from 1st
April.
ENDS
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