THE future of more than 1,000 threatened jobs at an electronics firm's North-East plants could become clearer today.

Following a meeting between bosses at LG Philips, which has factories in Durham and nearby Washington, and the engineering union, Amicus, in Manchester this morning, the two are expected to issue a joint statement on the company's future.

Danny Carrigan, Amicus's national officer, demanded the meeting after he saw a leaked "internal discussion" document revealing that LG Philips was considering closing both North-East plants, as well as those in Blackburn and Newport.

The move, resulting in the loss of 3,000 jobs, would allow the firm to save money by transferring the production of tubes for televisions and monitors to cheaper countries in eastern Europe.

Mr Carrigan said: "The trade union will be vigorously pursuing our concerns for our members and discussing plans for the future."

Cuts have already been made at LG Philips' Washington plant, where the workforce has been reduced by 300 to 120 since April.

When it announced the job losses, the company said the plant would continue as a centre for research and development.

Until the emergence of the leaked document, it was thought that the 1,000 jobs at the Durham plant were safe.

Following the leak, a company spokeswoman stressed that the proposed closures were merely one of several scenarios being considered.