Motorola sent 1600 workers home from its Swindon plant on Thursday.

The semiconductor giant has announced plans to axe 4000 jobs worldwide and the Swindon move has prompted fears that the UK is going to suffer the major brunt of the job casualties.

The Swindon staff were working the late shift when asked to leave the plant. They have warned their jobs might be cut.

A UK spokesman said Motorola has to make substantial cost reductions but a redundancy was only one of several possible options. The company has launched a "consultation process" with employees in Swindon to decide their future.

Motorola's Swindon factory produces infrastructure for mobile phone networks. The company employs 10,000 people across the UK. ®

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