One of his first tasks will be, in conjunction with the other members of the rapid reaction team, to put together an action plan and identify how much money will be required to fund it.

Mr Cramb said, “I now have a fuller understanding of the situation and the different skills people will be bringing to the task group. The main priority for tomorrow is to get an action plan together with actual action points.”

The chairman has met officials from the council’s economic development department, Scottish Enterprise representatives, the careers service and NCR management. It’s understood the issue of the manufacturing giant contributing to the funding of the action plan was discussed informally with the latter, but Mr Cramb declined to comment.

He has not yet spoken to members of the workforce itself, preferring first to hold talks with their full-time union representative. He said, “I am by ‘trade’ an industrial chaplain so it’s something I have experience in,” he said. “I would like to hear people’s stories, but the first step is to have the union official’s agreement and encouragement to do that.”

Deputy First Minister Nicol Stephen said the task force has identified three priorities, the first of which is to support the employees being made redundant.

“The second is to contact the sub-contractors, whose employees could also be affected by the announcement, and the third is to support new opportunities in Dundee that would create jobs for the local area,” he said.

“That involves not only the electronics sector but also life sciences, digital media — the creative industries have been a big growth area for Dundee recently — the financial services sector and also civil service jobs.

“That has been mentioned by a number of politicians, and the opportunity for the relocation of civil service jobs will be looked at.”

The task force is made up of representatives of national government, Scottish Enterprise Tayside, NCR management, trade unions and other local agencies.

It was formed in response to the bombshell announcement by NCR last Thursday that it is switching production to other plants, where production costs are cheaper. Among politicians who have voiced their anger is SSP national convener Colin Fox, who has tabled a motion condemning the decision in the Scottish Parliament.

Mr Fox was meeting shop stewards from the Amicus trade union today.

“I will then share a platform with Amicus stewards at an SSP public meeting in the Queens Hotel,” he said. “Make no mistake, no job in Scotland is safe from the threat of cheap labour.”

Meanwhile, Dundee East MP Stewart Hosie and MSP Shona Robison have written a joint letter to the team suggesting they look to the local business community to help workers who are being made redundant.

Mr Hosie said yesterday, “I met on Monday a local CEO (chief executive officer) who has huge experience in start-up companies, spin-out companies and how to access capital markets.

“I have asked Erik, as part of his considerations, if his team can pull together a list of local CEOs, finance directors and others from the local business community who might be prepared to give some of their time to provide mentoring and coaching for workers from NCR.”