BOSSES at the Freescale plant in East Kilbride today ignored their critics and remained silent over the future of the site.

Union leaders, local politicians and workers have united to demand an update on controversial management plans to sell the complex.

The former Motorola plant employs 900 staff who manufacture chips for a variety of applications including mobile phones and vehicle engine management systems.

US venture capitalists who own the South Lanarkshire site announced last month it was being put up for sale and warned it would be closed if no buyer was found.

Marketing experts are to spearhead the search even though industry commentators doubt a buyer would want to retain the site when the work could be switched to a low-wage economy in East Europe.

Union leader Jimmy Farrelly, of Unite, is angry that Freescale chiefs have not updated the workforce on developments.

He added: "There has been a veil of secrecy applied by management ever since speculation started on the future of the manufacturing division. This has caused great anxiety among the workers.

"It has rumbled on for months now and the workers deserve so much better given their loyalty and hard work down the years."

Local Labour MP Adam Ingram said: "The silence from management is unacceptable.

"The plant has been a hub of the community for nearly 40 years and the workforce deserves to know exactly what the future intentions are."

The plant's public relations chief could not be contacted for comment despite several messages left by the Evening Times.

It's believed that the management plan to retain 300 research and development staff in East Kilbride, along with a 50-strong sales team.