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Coyne ends unfair dismissal claim against Unite

DISGRACED former union official Gerard Coyne has given up on his claims of unfair dismissal against Unite.

Mr Coyne, who was the union’s West Midlands regional organiser for 28 years, was suspended after allegations that he misused union data during last year’s general secretary election.

In late 2016, he challenged incumbent general secretary Len McCluskey on a platform perceived by many to be an anti-Jeremy Corbyn one but decisively lost the election.

After an investigation, Mr Coyne was found to have used Labour membership data, as well as a call centre used by Sion Simon, the party’s Blairite candidate in the West Midlands mayoral election, to contact possible supporters.

Following this revelation, he opened up a string of legal complaints against his union, claiming that he had been unfairly dismissed and that Unite’s leadership had broken the union’s rules during the election.

An employment tribunal in June dismissed his claims and his allegations that Mr McCluskey had broken the union’s rules was thrown out of court early last month.

Mr Coyne, who was backed by pro-business lobby group Progress and the anti-Corbyn Labour First, gained controversy on his campaign, which many saw as an attempt to politically undermine Unite’s relationship to Labour.

Unite assistant general secretary for legal affairs Howard Beckett said: “This now concludes the litany of challenges Mr Coyne has brought against the union relating to his defeat in last year’s general secretary election and his dismissal from the union for misusing his position as regional secretary.

“It should be noted that not a single one of his cases, at the employment tribunal, with the Certification Officer or the Information Commissioner has been successful.

“The fact is that the administration of Unite has been vindicated in every respect, both in the conduct of our election and as an employer.

“We remain, however, deeply concerned as to some of the matters that have come to light in the course of all these proceedings, indicating substantial external interference in the affairs of our union and the possible breach of data protection legislation.”

Mr Coyne was unreachable for comment.

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