A TRADE union has been threatened with legal action by an oil company over claims one of its members was victimised for garnering support for the Labour Party at work.

Petrochemical firm Ineos, which owns Grangemouth oil plant near Falkirk, said comments made by Unite on its members' website claiming fears over the security of 1000 jobs were defamatory and it would launch legal proceedings unless the remarks were withdrawn.

Unite posted concerns over one of its representative at the site, Stevie Deans, which claimed he had been targeted for speaking out against the firm. Unite is balloting its members at Grangemouth for industrial action over the dispute.

Calum MacLean, Ineos UK chairman, said the firm was carrying out an internal investigation into whether Mr Deans' activities "are in line with his role as an employee and a convener".

Mr MacLean said: "I would urge union members to reflect on what they have been told by the union and think carefully about how they vote on this issue."

Part of the argument hinged on whether activists had moved to sign up a "block" number of members to the Labour party at work in a time of wider crisis ahead of the Falkirk West election selection process.

Mr Deans, a shop steward, was the chair of the constituency in Falkirk. He and Karie Murphy, the candidate at the time, were initially suspended by Labour but the suspensions were lifted.

Pat Rafferty, Unite's Scottish secretary, said: "It is ridiculous to suggest that Unite has libelled Ineos. We have issued an honest statement of opinion."