Philips NV, the Dutch electronics company which is fighting for its independence against huge financial odds is expected to announce the cutting of a further 3,000 jobs today. Philips spokesmen in the Hague and Appelboorn reacted tentatively to reports in the US press – originally culled from the Dutch newspaper De Volksrand – that yet another 3,000 jobs were to go from the vast Products Sector division. This division embraces the Information Systems Division arm (15,000 staff), Communications division (16,000), Industrial division (10,000) and the Medical arm. A decision has not yet been taken on whether there will be job losses on top of the 10,000 announced in July, stated a spokesman, who described the figure as a wild guess. But speaking to Computergram, he continued that if such steps were to be taken, it would be the Information Systems Division that would be greatest hit by the losses. Another Philips employee intimated that task forces are investigating the future of its multi-user systems. When asked if these would be cut altogether, he responded with a maybe. Despite increasing scepticism from analysts about the future existence of the personal computer line, Philips is sticking to its guns by saying that per-sonal computer production will continue.
