Militant RMT boss Mick Lynch who presided over rail strikes which have struck distress for thousands and thousands of passengers pronounces he’s retiring

Mick Lynch today announced he will be retiring from the Rail, Maritime and Transport union (RMT) union aged 63 after four years as general secretary.

The militant boss became the face of rail strikes that have brought misery to passengers in recent years amid long-running rows with train operators over pay.

Mr Lynch was elected general secretary in 2021 having also served two terms as assistant general secretary and two on the RMT national executive committee.

The qualified electrician worked in construction for many years before helping set up the Electrical and Plumbing Industries Union (EPIU) in 1988.

Mr Lynch joined the RMT after he began working for Eurostar in 1993, and said he was proud to have been both a rank-and-file member and an elected officer.

Rail, Maritime and Transport (RMT) union general secretary Mick Lynch

He said: ‘It has been a privilege to serve this union for over 30 years in all capacities, but now it is time for change. This union has been through a lot of struggles in recent years, and I believe that it has only made it stronger despite all the odds.

‘There has never been a more urgent need for a strong union for all transport and energy workers of all grades, but we can only maintain and build a robust organisation for these workers if there is renewal and change.

‘We can all be proud that our union stood up against the wholesale attacks on the rail industry by the previous Tory government and the union defeated them.

‘RMT will always need a new generation of workers to take up the fight for its members and for a fairer society for all and I am immensely proud to have been part of that struggle’.

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