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| Unite official Stephen Deans resigns from Grangemouth job | Unite official Stephen Deans resigns from Grangemouth job |
| (35 minutes later) | |
| The Unite union official at the centre of the Grangemouth industrial dispute has resigned from his job at the facility. | The Unite union official at the centre of the Grangemouth industrial dispute has resigned from his job at the facility. |
| Stephen Deans had been suspended by operator Ineos over claims he used company time for union business. | Stephen Deans had been suspended by operator Ineos over claims he used company time for union business. |
| Ineos had been expected to reveal the outcome of a disciplinary case against him on Tuesday. | Ineos had been expected to reveal the outcome of a disciplinary case against him on Tuesday. |
| The union previously voted for strike action over his treatment, which led to last week's shutdown of the plant. | The union previously voted for strike action over his treatment, which led to last week's shutdown of the plant. |
| Mr Deans declined to comment when contacted by BBC Scotland. | |
| A statement released by Ineos confirmed he had resigned from the company with immediate effect. | |
| It said: "The company has conducted a thorough investigation into Mr Deans' activities over the last 18 months and made Mr Deans aware of these findings last week. | It said: "The company has conducted a thorough investigation into Mr Deans' activities over the last 18 months and made Mr Deans aware of these findings last week. |
| "Mr Deans requested an additional five days prior to the final disciplinary hearing to allow him time to provide any further relevant information. | "Mr Deans requested an additional five days prior to the final disciplinary hearing to allow him time to provide any further relevant information. |
| "The company was due to meet with Mr Deans again tomorrow but has now received his resignation." | "The company was due to meet with Mr Deans again tomorrow but has now received his resignation." |
| 'Rigging' claims | 'Rigging' claims |
| Mr Deans, the convener of Unite in Scotland, had worked at Grangemouth for 24 years. | Mr Deans, the convener of Unite in Scotland, had worked at Grangemouth for 24 years. |
| He had been accused of trying to rig the selection of a candidate for Westminster in his role as chairman of the Labour Party in the Falkirk constituency. | He had been accused of trying to rig the selection of a candidate for Westminster in his role as chairman of the Labour Party in the Falkirk constituency. |
| It was claimed he signed up dozens of new members for Labour, promising the recruits that Unite would pay their membership fees on the understanding that they would back the union's choice in the contest to select a new candidate to stand for parliament in Falkirk, to replace the disgraced Eric Joyce. | It was claimed he signed up dozens of new members for Labour, promising the recruits that Unite would pay their membership fees on the understanding that they would back the union's choice in the contest to select a new candidate to stand for parliament in Falkirk, to replace the disgraced Eric Joyce. |
| Mr Deans was suspended from the Labour Party but was later cleared by an investigation and reinstated. | Mr Deans was suspended from the Labour Party but was later cleared by an investigation and reinstated. |
| But Ineos carried out its own investigation into allegations that some of the new Labour members had been signed up in the refinery. | But Ineos carried out its own investigation into allegations that some of the new Labour members had been signed up in the refinery. |
| The row over his treatment erupted into a vote for strike action which was eventually called off by the union. | The row over his treatment erupted into a vote for strike action which was eventually called off by the union. |
| But the threat of industrial action led to Ineos shutting down the facility last week - before later announcing the site's petrochemical plant would shut permanently with the loss of 800 jobs. | |
| 'Victimisation' | |
| The company eventually reversed that decision after staff agreed to implement changes to pay, pensions and conditions which Ineos said were necessary to ensure the survival of the petrochemical plant and the neighbouring oil refinery. | |
| Labour MP Michael Connarty, whose Linlithgow and East Falkirk constituency includes Grangemouth, said he believed Mr Deans had been the ''subject of victimisation''. | |
| Mr Connarty, who is currently at a conference in Lithuania, said he would be making no further comment until he had spoken to Mr Deans. | |
| There have been calls for the Labour Party to reopen its investigation into the vote-rigging allegations after the Sunday Times claimed to have seen emails showing Unite had undermined its original inquiry. | |
| A Labour Party spokesperson said: "This is matter between Stevie Deans and Ineos." |