AN American computer giant which is spon-soring next year's Commonwealth Games is axing dozens of jobs at its call centre in Glasgow.

Dell is making redundant almost 60 workers at its technical support and customer service hub at City Park, the old cigarette factory site at Alexandra Parade in Dennistoun.

Shocked workers were told on the same day as Glasgow's shipyards made headline news after yard owners at BAE Systems announced 800 job losses.

One furious Dell worker said: "With the horrible events in the Glasgow shipyards it was maybe seen as a good day to bury bad news.

"Roughly 10% of the workforce, 58 staff were put on notice of redun-dancy. Those affected are generally well paid, skilled staff.

"This is a company who has just signed a major sponsorship deal for Glasgow 2014. The jobs will be moved to lower cost areas."

The computer manufacturer said in a statement: "We can confirm that we have identified a number of roles at risk from a small segment of our UK workforce.

"We recognise any proposed reduction is significant for poten-tially affected team members and their teams, and we are working to minimise consequences, incl-uding providing a competitive severance package."

Melanie Derome, the communications man-ager for Dell UK, re-fused to say how many workers were based in Glasgow and insisted: "I'm not going to be able to provide any more detail than what is in the statement."

Dell employs 550 workers in Glasgow - 320 fewer than six years ago.

gordon.thomson@ eveningtimes.co.uk