UP to ten jobs could go at IBM in Greenock – igniting further fears over the firm’s future in the town.

Those working in the procurement division have been given notice that they may be among those made redundant.

The Tele was told there are 60 posts nationwide will be axed. It is understood that the work carried out at the Pottery Street site, some of which is on behalf of the UK Government and the NHS, is set to be transferred to Bulgaria.

There are only around 100 IBM employees left in Inverclyde. Those affected will be told at the end of March and will then have a three month notice period.

A source told the Tele: “There are ten possible candidate in Greenock. The work has been gradually moving to Bulgaria and now they are making posts redundant.

“These are higher salaried jobs that will no doubt cost less in Bulgaria.

“There are other divisions affected and there have already been job losses, despite bosses saying IBM are performing well in the UK. “People are concerned that there could be more cuts yet to come with IBM losing half of its workforce.”

There are currently 200 employees based in the site but 100 are with the agency Manpower. At its height the IBM site in Spango Valley employed 6,500 people. In the early 2000s IBM started to shift their workforce to other firms including Sanmina and Lenovo as the global firm stopped manufacturing.

Three years ago they finally moved out of Spango Valley altogether after 61 years and into the former Lenovo building in the Riverside Business Centre in Pottery Street.

In the years previous to that they had gradually been moving staff from the large site.

The Tele contacted IBM about the job losses and the fears about the future of the Greenock site, but they have not responded.