BOSSES at one of Blackburn's biggest employers are hopeful of avoiding forced job losses during a major shake-up.

Although production of a component is being phased out at Philips, manufacturing of a new product is being transferred to Blackburn from a plant in the Netherlands.

And with £13 million being invested in the site over a four-year period, managers believe its future is secure.

Around 130 jobs will go as production of delay lines, which have been produced at Blackburn for 30 years, ends - possibly next year.

The delay line components, used mainly in television sets, have been superceded by new technology and demand has been falling for several years. The workforce has already been cut from 250 in the last two years in the department.

Some of the workers will be transferred into the production of cathodes which has expanded dramatically on the site recently. Although managers say they cannot rule out forced job losses, they hope the reduction can be achieved through transfers and natural wastage.

A team of employees from Blackburn are currently in Sittard in the Netherlands where the I-Cathodes, used in wide screen televisions are now manufactured.

By the end of next year it is expected the new production lines will be up and running.

And plant director Ian Willock said the transfer of production to Blackburn and increasing demand for its other cathodes would provide a secure future for the site.

Hughie Bruce, works convenor for the plant, said he hoped that compulsory redundancies could be avoided.

"The company has been very open with us about the situation. We've known for some time that the delay line business had a limited life and customers have been switching to other technology.

"But the cathode work here is obviously good news."

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