Mick Lynch (trade unionist) explained

Mick Lynch
Birth Name:Michael Lynch
Birth Place:London, England
Children:3
Office1:General Secretary of the National Union of Rail, Maritime and Transport Workers
Term Start1:May 2021
Predecessor1:Mick Cash
Occupation:Trade unionist

Michael Lynch (born January 1962) is a British-Irish[1] trade unionist who has served as the General Secretary of the UK's National Union of Rail, Maritime and Transport Workers since May 2021. Since the high-profile rail strikes of 2022-2023, Lynch has become a spokesperson and symbol for the wider trade unionist movement.

Early life

Lynch was born in West London in January 1962,[2] the youngest of five children, growing up in a Catholic-dominated Paddington council estate.[3] His mother was Northern Irish cleaner Ellen "Nellie" Morris and his father Irish labourer and postman Jackie Lynch. His parents immigrated during the Second World War, with his mother hailing from an area close to Crossmaglen and his father coming from Cork.[4] He grew up in the Paddington area of London,[5] in what he described as "rented rooms that would now be called slums". He was raised in an Irish Catholic family, but is now a lapsed Catholic.[6]

Career

Lynch left school at the age of 16 and qualified as an electrician, then worked in construction before being illegally blacklisted for joining a union.[7] 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). Two decades after being illegally blacklisted, he received a settlement for it.

Lynch voted for Brexit in 2016 because of his belief that the European Union should not function as one 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 stood by his support for Brexit in 2022,[10] [4] and later stated that he had done so in order to renationalise the railways, which he believed 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 London Underground as a "political football" before the 2021 mayoral elections, and threatened strike action if privatisation of the 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.[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, he 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 and Prime Minister Rishi Sunak, likened him to the Grinch and accused him of wanting to "steal Christmas". Lynch retorted, "I'm not the Grinch, I'm a trade union official and I'm determined to get a deal."[29] In December 2023 The New Statesman described Lynch as having "made industrial action cool," naming him as the UK's nineteenth most powerful left-wing figure of the year.[30]

In May and June 2023, Lynch was featured in the BBC series Strike: Inside the Unions.[31] 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, as well as the loss of community centres in many towns and villages.[32]

Personal life

Lynch's wife, Mary,[33] [34] has been a nurse and trade unionist in the NHS since 1984.[35] They have three children together.[36]

Lynch has cited Irish republican and trade union leader James Connolly as his political hero and inspiration.[37] [38] He is a fan of Irish football team Cork City FC.[39] He has expressed his admiration for Irish footballer Ray Houghton and other Irish sportspeople.[40] [41]

Further reading

External links

Notes and References

  1. News: Fallon . John . UK transport union leader Mick Lynch declares love for Cork City . 6 January 2023 . Irish Examiner . 25 June 2022 . en.
  2. https://find-and-update.company-information.service.gov.uk/officers/tXSBMDPIxsft3tH1uCELCG7JJs0/appointments Michael LYNCH
  3. News: Faulkner . Conor Patrick . Mick Lynch Tells Jacobin: The Working Class Is Back . 6 October 2022 . 28 January 2023 . . en-GB.
  4. Web site: Hayward . Freddie . 13 December 2022 . Mick Lynch: "Starmer's Labour could be another version of the Tories" . 5 January 2023 . New Statesman . en-GB . subscription.
  5. News: 22 June 2022 . Who is RMT leader Mick Lynch? . 22 June 2022 . The Independent . en . 22 June 2022 . Sommerlad . Joe . https://web.archive.org/web/20220622162727/https://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/home-news/mick-lynch-rail-strikes-rmt-b2106693.html . live .
  6. News: Horan . Niamh . Mick Lynch: The UK rail union boss, whose mother was from Co Armagh, reveals background has taught him to always speak his mind . 28 June 2022 . Belfast Telegraph . 26 June 2022.
  7. News: From blacklist to boardroom: Mick Lynch, the rail leader gearing up for a new battle. The Guardian. Gwyn. Topham. 8 May 2021. 21 June 2022. 21 June 2022. https://web.archive.org/web/20220621113934/https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2021/may/08/from-blacklist-to-boardroom-mick-lynch-the-rail-leader-gearing-up-for-a-new-battle. live.
  8. News: Mick Lynch: I never believed in the European Union . 19 August 2022 . .
  9. News: Praise be to Mick Lynch, the Brexit arse made good . Lee . Stewart . 31 July 2022 . .
  10. News: Lynch schools Peston over Brexit regrets following rail strikes . Anderson . Claire . 23 June 2022 . .
  11. News: Forrest . Adam . 4 January 2023 . Mick Lynch challenged over his Brexit support by James O'Brien . . 5 January 2023.
  12. News: Mick Lynch stands down as RMT AGS amid allegations of bullying by NEC members. Union News. Tim. Lezard. 8 September 2020. 21 June 2022. 8 June 2022. https://web.archive.org/web/20220608172125/https://www.union-news.co.uk/mick-lynch-stands-down-as-rmt-ags-amid-allegations-of-bullying-by-nec-members/. live.
  13. News: 2020-07-06 . Boris Johnson: TfL driverless trains 'should be funding condition' . en-GB . BBC News . 2023-09-13.
  14. News: Topham . Gwyn . 2020-07-20 . Government opening door to privatising London Underground, says union . en-GB . The Guardian . 2023-09-13 . 0261-3077.
  15. News: 2020-08-12 . Three dead after passenger train derails near Stonehaven . en-GB . BBC News . 2023-09-13.
  16. Web site: Mitchell . Jenness . 2020-08-13 . Train conductor killed in crash 'much loved and respected' . 2023-09-13 . STV News . en-GB.
  17. News: Assistant general secretary Mick Lynch elected as new RMT chief. Evening Standard. Alan. Jones. 4 May 2021. 21 June 2022. 21 June 2022. https://web.archive.org/web/20220621173503/https://www.standard.co.uk/news/uk/rmt-mick-cash-bob-crow-labour-b933212.html. live.
  18. Web site: General Secretary . 2022-06-22 . RMT . en . 5 April 2017 . https://web.archive.org/web/20170405230756/http://www.rmt.org.uk/about/rmt-structure/general-secretary/ . live .
  19. News: Mick Lynch: RMT union boss is a hero for calling out anti-strike bullshit. Ramsay. Adam. 21 June 2022. openDemocracy. 22 June 2022. en. 22 June 2022. https://web.archive.org/web/20220622162727/https://www.opendemocracy.net/en/its-great-to-see-mick-lynch-calling-out-the-medias-anti-union-bullshit/. live.
  20. News: Harrison . Ellie . 22 June 2022 . Rail strike: Hugh Laurie praises RMT union boss Mick Lynch for 'cleaning up' in interviews . The Independent . 21 June 2022 . 22 June 2022 . https://web.archive.org/web/20220622152414/https://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/tv/news/rail-strike-hugh-laurie-mick-lynch-b2106645.html . live .
  21. News: Weaver . Matthew . Mick Lynch: the rail union boss who became a media star by skewering interviewers . 23 June 2022 . The Guardian . 23 June 2022 . en.
  22. Web site: BBC One - Question Time, 2022, 23/06/2022. BBC.
  23. News: Who is on BBC Question Time tonight? What can viewers expect as Mick Lynch set for panel. Mcilkenny. Stephen. 23 June 2022. The Scotsman. 23 June 2022.
  24. Web site: Strick . Katie . 2022-06-26 . How RMT boss Mick Lynch became the star of the rail strikes — and all his top moments . 2023-09-13 . . en.
  25. News: 2022-12-13 . Mick Lynch: Union leader who's in the national spotlight . en-GB . BBC News . 2023-09-13.
  26. News: 8 September 2022 . Mick Lynch to appear on Have I Got News for You? . .
  27. News: Jones . Alan . 7 September 2022 . Rail union leader Mick Lynch to appear on BBC's Have I Got News for You . .
  28. News: Howse . Imogen . 24 September 2022 . Best moments from Mick Lynch as RMT union boss appears on Have I Got News for You . en . National World . 24 September 2022.
  29. Web site: Solomons . Adam . 2022-12-17 . Sunak brands union leader Lynch 'the Grinch' . 2023-09-13 . . en.
  30. Web site: Statesman . New . 2023-05-17 . The New Statesman’s left power list . 2023-12-13 . New Statesman . en-US.
  31. Web site: Strike: Inside the Unions . bbc.co.uk . 25 May 2023 . 1 June 2023.
  32. News: Topham . Gwyn . correspondent . Gwyn Topham Transport . 2023-09-13 . Mick Lynch calls consultation on railway ticket office closures a 'sham' . en-GB . The Guardian . 2023-09-13 . 0261-3077.
  33. MikeJKelly1962. Kelly. Mike. 1545687190939762689. A dapper looking Mick Lynch of the @RMTunion and his wife Mary at the Durham Miners Gala is proving very popular with the crowd. 16 December 2022.
  34. News: Kelly . Mike . 9 July 2022 . RMT's Mick Lynch turns up heat on Keir Starmer at scorching Durham Miners' Gala . 28 January 2023 . ChronicleLive . en . Speaking earlier in the day, Mr Lynch, who attended the event with his wife Mary.
  35. novaramedia. Novara Media. 1603332246466957312. My wife has been a nurse and a trade unionist for 38 years."
    Mick Lynch explains the media's divide and rule tactics.. 16 December 2022.
  36. News: AFP . 9 January 2023 . Mick Lynch: doughty union boss defending UK rail strikers . 28 January 2023 . France 24 . en.
  37. Web site: Cochrane . Feargal . 30 July 2022 . Why century-dead trade unionist James Connolly is the political voice of the summer . 31 August 2022 . The Big Issue . en.
  38. News: Young . Claire . Mick Lynch names Irish socialist icon James Connolly as his political hero . 24 June 2022 . 21 September 2022 . Hotpress.
  39. Web site: Walsh . Emer . 2022-08-13 . Rail union boss Mick Lynch meets Young Offender Billy Murphy at Cork City game . 2022-08-31 . Cork Beo . en.
  40. News: Stanley . Colman . Mick Lynch Discusses His Love For Ray Houghton And His Life-Long Support Of Ireland . 22 September 2022 . 11 September 2022 . Balls.ie . en.
  41. Web site: Simpson . Claire . 2022-06-24 . Mick Lynch: Rail union boss names James Connolly as his political hero . 2023-01-06 . The Irish News . en.

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