RMT chief Mick Lynch proclaims plan to retire from nation’s greatest rail union

Mick Lynch has announced plans to retire as General Secretary of the Rail, Maritime and Transport (RMT) union.

The 63-year-old, who was elected to the post in 2021, became a household name during the union’s pay strikes over the past two years. His punchy style won him fans in unlikely places as he took on interviewers and Tories spouting anti-union rhetoric.

Mr Lynch held a number of posts in the RMT after working in the construction industry for many years before being illegally blacklisted for joining a union.

In a statement, 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”.

The RMT’s executive committee is expected to elect a new General Secretary in May. Mr Lynch will remain in post until a successor is appointed.

Mr Lynch joined the Mirror in successfully campaigning against Tory-backed plans to shut almost every railway station ticket office in England in 2023. The proposals from train firms to close ticket counters at 974 railway stations were dropped following a huge outcry from passengers.