Mick Lynch (trade unionist)

Michael Lynch (born January 1962) is a British trade unionist. He has served as the General Secretary of the National Union of Rail, Maritime and Transport Workers (RMT) since May 2021.

Mick Lynch
Lynch at an RMT solidarity strike rally at London King's Cross railway station, 25 June 2022
General Secretary of the RMT
Assumed office
May 2021
Preceded byMick Cash
Personal details
Born
Michael Lynch

January 1962 (age 61)
West London, England
CitizenshipUnited Kingdom, Ireland[1]
OccupationTrade unionist

Early life

Lynch was born into an Irish Catholic family in West London in January 1962,[2] the youngest of five children.[3][4] His father, Jackie Lynch, was from Cork in County Cork in the Republic of Ireland, and his mother, Ellen "Nellie" Morris, was from outside Crossmaglen in the south of County Armagh in Northern Ireland;[5] they both emigrated during the Second World War. Jackie worked as a labourer and postman, whilst Nellie was a cleaner.[6]

Lynch grew up in the Paddington area of London[7] in what he describes as "rented rooms that would now be called slums".[3] He was raised Catholic, but is no longer.[5] He left school at the age of 16 and qualified as an electrician, then worked in construction before being illegally blacklisted for joining a union.[3]

Career

In 1993, unable to find any more work in construction, he began working for Eurostar, and became active in the National Union of Rail, Maritime and Transport Workers (RMT). Twenty years later, he received a settlement for the illegal blacklisting.[3]

Lynch voted for Brexit in 2016 because, "I don't personally believe that the European Union should be a sovereign country".[8][9] This stance was in line with that of his RMT union which encouraged its membership to vote for Brexit, providing several reasons including protection of workers rights. He reiterated his support for Brexit in 2022,[10][6] and later said he had done so in order to renationalise the railways, which he said was not possible within the EU.[11]

Lynch served two terms as Assistant General Secretary of the RMT, and two terms on its executive. In 2020, after General Secretary Mick Cash took time off due to ill health, Lynch was appointed as the acting General Secretary, but stood down after a few months, accusing members of the union's national executive of bullying and harassment. This accusation was similar to Cash's.[12] During his time as Assistant General Secretary, Lynch criticised Boris Johnson's suggestion that allowing driverless trains should be a condition for the funding of Transport for London services,[13] accused the government of “using the tube as a political football” before mayoral elections, and threatened strike action if privatisation of the London Underground began.[14] The Stonehaven derailment also took place over these months, and Lynch offered his condolences on behalf of the RMT.[15][16] He won an election for the permanent role of General Secretary and took up the position in May 2021.[3][17][18]

As part of the media coverage of the RMT's 2022–23 strikes, Lynch gained widespread attention for his appearances in interviews and debates on the BBC, Sky News, TalkTV, and ITV.[19][20][21]

On 23 June 2022, Lynch was a panellist on BBC One's Question Time.[22][23] Piers Morgan criticised him in June for using a picture of the villain The Hood from the children's TV series Thunderbirds as his Facebook profile picture, to which Lynch replied “is that the level journalism’s at these days?”.[24][25] On 23 September 2022, he was a panellist on BBC One's Have I Got News for You.[26][27][28] Media coverage in December 2022, particularly from Metro, as well as Prime Minister Rishi Sunak, likened him to the Dr Seuss character the Grinch and accused him of wanting to "steal Christmas." Lynch retorted that "I'm not the Grinch, I'm a trade union official, and I'm determined to get a deal."[25][29]

In May and June 2023 Lynch was featured in the BBC series Strike: Inside the Unions.[30] In September 2023, he criticised closures of railway ticket offices and called for a consultation. He stated to the Commons transport select committee that the closures would cause people to “not want to travel once the sun’s gone down,” and drew attention to the effect of the closures upon disabled and elderly people and the loss of “community centres in many towns and villages.”[31]

Personal life

Lynch's wife Mary[32][33] has been a nurse and trade unionist in the NHS since 1984.[34] The couple have three children.[35]

Lynch has cited Irish republican and trade union leader James Connolly (1868–1916) as his political hero and inspiration.[36][37]

He supports and follows Irish sports, and is a fan of Cork City.[38] He has expressed his admiration for Ray Houghton, amongst other Irish sportspeople.[39][40]

References
  1. Fallon, John (25 June 2022). "UK transport union leader Mick Lynch declares love for Cork City". Irish Examiner. Retrieved 6 January 2023.
  2. Michael LYNCH Archived 22 June 2022 at the Wayback Machine, Companies House
  3. Topham, Gwyn (8 May 2021). "From blacklist to boardroom: Mick Lynch, the rail leader gearing up for a new battle". The Guardian. Archived from the original on 21 June 2022. Retrieved 21 June 2022.
  4. Faulkner, Conor Patrick (6 October 2022). "Mick Lynch Tells Jacobin: The Working Class Is Back". Jacobin. Retrieved 28 January 2023.
  5. Horan, Niamh (26 June 2022). "Mick Lynch: The UK rail union boss, whose mother was from Co Armagh, reveals background has taught him to always speak his mind". Belfast Telegraph. Retrieved 28 June 2022.
  6. Hayward, Freddie (13 December 2022). "Mick Lynch: "Starmer's Labour could be another version of the Tories"". New Statesman. Retrieved 5 January 2023.
  7. Sommerlad, Joe (22 June 2022). "Who is RMT leader Mick Lynch?". The Independent. Archived from the original on 22 June 2022. Retrieved 22 June 2022.
  8. "Mick Lynch: I never believed in the European Union". LBC. 19 August 2022.
  9. Lee, Stewart (31 July 2022). "Praise be to Mick Lynch, the Brexit arse made good". The Guardian.
  10. Anderson, Claire (23 June 2022). "Lynch schools Peston over Brexit regrets following rail strikes". Daily Express.
  11. Forrest, Adam (4 January 2023). "Mick Lynch challenged over his Brexit support by James O'Brien". The Independent. Retrieved 5 January 2023.
  12. Lezard, Tim (8 September 2020). "Mick Lynch stands down as RMT AGS amid allegations of bullying by NEC members". Union News. Archived from the original on 8 June 2022. Retrieved 21 June 2022.
  13. "Boris Johnson: TfL driverless trains 'should be funding condition'". BBC News. 6 July 2020. Retrieved 13 September 2023.
  14. Topham, Gwyn (20 July 2020). "Government opening door to privatising London Underground, says union". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 13 September 2023.
  15. "Three dead after passenger train derails near Stonehaven". BBC News. 12 August 2020. Retrieved 13 September 2023.
  16. Mitchell, Jenness (13 August 2020). "Train conductor killed in crash 'much loved and respected'". STV News. Retrieved 13 September 2023.
  17. Jones, Alan (4 May 2021). "Assistant general secretary Mick Lynch elected as new RMT chief". Evening Standard. Archived from the original on 21 June 2022. Retrieved 21 June 2022.
  18. "General Secretary". RMT. Archived from the original on 5 April 2017. Retrieved 22 June 2022.
  19. Ramsay, Adam (21 June 2022). "Mick Lynch: RMT union boss is a hero for calling out anti-strike bullshit". openDemocracy. Archived from the original on 22 June 2022. Retrieved 22 June 2022.
  20. Harrison, Ellie (22 June 2022). "Rail strike: Hugh Laurie praises RMT union boss Mick Lynch for 'cleaning up' in interviews". The Independent. Archived from the original on 22 June 2022. Retrieved 21 June 2022.
  21. Weaver, Matthew (23 June 2022). "Mick Lynch: the rail union boss who became a media star by skewering interviewers". The Guardian. Retrieved 23 June 2022.
  22. "BBC One - Question Time, 2022, 23/06/2022". BBC.
  23. Mcilkenny, Stephen (23 June 2022). "Who is on BBC Question Time tonight? What can viewers expect as Mick Lynch set for panel". The Scotsman. Retrieved 23 June 2022.
  24. Strick, Katie (26 June 2022). "How RMT boss Mick Lynch became the star of the rail strikes — and all his top moments". Evening Standard. Retrieved 13 September 2023.
  25. "Mick Lynch: Union leader who's in the national spotlight". BBC News. 13 December 2022. Retrieved 13 September 2023.
  26. "Mick Lynch to appear on Have I Got News for You?". Chortle. 8 September 2022.
  27. Jones, Alan (7 September 2022). "Rail union leader Mick Lynch to appear on BBC's Have I Got News for You". Independent.co.uk.
  28. Howse, Imogen (24 September 2022). "Best moments from Mick Lynch as RMT union boss appears on Have I Got News for You". National World. Retrieved 24 September 2022.
  29. Solomons, Adam (17 December 2022). "Sunak brands union leader Lynch 'the Grinch'". LBC. Retrieved 13 September 2023.
  30. "Strike: Inside the Unions". bbc.co.uk. 25 May 2023. Retrieved 1 June 2023.
  31. Topham, Gwyn; correspondent, Gwyn Topham Transport (13 September 2023). "Mick Lynch calls consultation on railway ticket office closures a 'sham'". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 13 September 2023.
  32. Kelly, Mike [@MikeJKelly1962] (9 July 2022). "A dapper looking Mick Lynch of the @RMTunion and his wife Mary at the Durham Miners Gala is proving very popular with the crowd" (Tweet). Retrieved 16 December 2022 – via Twitter.
  33. Kelly, Mike (9 July 2022). "RMT's Mick Lynch turns up heat on Keir Starmer at scorching Durham Miners' Gala". ChronicleLive. Retrieved 28 January 2023. Speaking earlier in the day, Mr Lynch, who attended the event with his wife Mary
  34. Novara Media [@novaramedia] (15 December 2022). "My wife has been a nurse and a trade unionist for 38 years."
    Mick Lynch explains the media's divide and rule tactics"     (Tweet). Retrieved 16 December 2022 – via Twitter.
  35. AFP (9 January 2023). "Mick Lynch: doughty union boss defending UK rail strikers". France 24. Retrieved 28 January 2023.
  36. Cochrane, Feargal (30 July 2022). "Why century-dead trade unionist James Connolly is the political voice of the summer". The Big Issue. Retrieved 31 August 2022.
  37. Young, Claire (24 June 2022). "Mick Lynch names Irish socialist icon James Connolly as his political hero". Hotpress. Retrieved 21 September 2022.
  38. Walsh, Emer (13 August 2022). "Rail union boss Mick Lynch meets Young Offender Billy Murphy at Cork City game". Cork Beo. Retrieved 31 August 2022.
  39. Stanley, Colman (22 September 2022). "Mick Lynch Discusses His Love For Ray Houghton And His Life-Long Support Of Ireland". Balls.ie. Retrieved 11 September 2022.
  40. Simpson, Claire (24 June 2022). "Mick Lynch: Rail union boss names James Connolly as his political hero". The Irish News. Retrieved 6 January 2023.
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