Rail strikes: Who is RMT Union leader Mick Lynch and what is his salary?

RMT general secretary Mick Lynch has been on the picket line outside Euston station in London, as members of the Rail, Maritime, and Transport union begin their nationwide strike along with London Underground workers (Picture: PA)

The UK has been rocked by the largest rail strike in more than 30 years.

National Union of Rail, Maritime, and Transport Workers (RMT) members have been striking due to conditions, pay, and redundancies.

The strikes have caused chaos across Britain with people warned to avoid any unnecessary travel as widespread disruption is expected.

Strike action began on Tuesday, and will continue today and tomorrow.

Union leader Mick Lynch has been the face of the strike, negotiating behind the scenes and speaking to the media about the action they’re taking.

But who is Mick Lynch, and what is his salary?

Here’s what you need to know…

Who is Mick Lynch?

Mick Lynch is a British trade unionist who has served as the general secretary of the RMT since May 2021.

Mick Lynch is the general secretary of the RMT (Picture: Ben Cawthra/LNP)

The 60-year-old grew up in the Paddington area of London and left school at the age of 16 and qualified as an electrician.

He began working in construction and joined a union which led to him being blacklisted from the trade, which he later received a large settlement for.

Unable to find work, in 1993 Lynch began working for Eurostar, and became active in the RMT.

He served two terms as assistant general secretary of the RMT and two terms on its executive before being appointed acting general secretary in 2020 due to Mick Cash experiencing ill health.

Despite stepping down from the role, Lynch won an election and took the role on permanently in 2021.

In this role, he has become a key figure in the current rail strikes with thousands of RMT members taking part in planned strikes over jobs, pay, and conditions.

What is Mick Lynch’s salary?

There has been some debate over how much Lynch is paid in his position.

It is widely reported that the trade unionist is on a salary of £84,000.

There has been some debate about Mick Lynch’s salary (Credits: PA)

However, in an interview on TalkTV, it was alleged by Piers Morgan that he is paid more than £124,000 – a figure that Lynch denied.

According to The Sun, Lynch has reportedly earned £763,000 in salary and benefits since he joined the union in 2015.

What has Mick Lynch said about the rail strikes?

Lynch was a prominent figure on TV and radio during Tuesday’s strike action, taking part in a series of interviews.

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Speaking after negotiations with Transport Secretary Grant Shapps, Lynch said: ‘Grant Shapps has wrecked these negotiations by not allowing Network Rail to withdraw their letter threatening redundancy for 2,900 of our members.

‘Until the Government unshackle Network Rail and the train operating companies, it is not going to be possible for a negotiated settlement to be agreed.

‘We will continue with our industrial campaign until we get a negotiated settlement that delivers job security and a pay rise for our members that deals with the escalating cost-of-living crisis.’

Shapps hit back, saying the RMT claim was a ‘lie’.

Speaking after strike action began on Tuesday, Lynch said: ‘Our members will continue the campaign and have shown outstanding unity in the pursuit of a settlement to this dispute.

‘RMT members are leading the way for all workers in this country who are sick and tired of having their pay and conditions slashed by a mixture of big business profits and Government policy.

‘Now is the time to stand up and fight for every single railway worker in this dispute that we will win.’

Mick has become a figurehead of the rail strikes due to his TV and radio interviews (Picture: REUTERS)

The trade unionist has gone viral in recent days as he held his own in interviews, including one saw Lynch get asked if he was a Marxist by Good Morning Britain presenter Richard Madeley, to which he responded: ‘You do come up with the most remarkable twaddle.’

Lynch continued: ‘I’m a working-class bloke leading a trade union dispute about jobs, pay and conditions, and service, so it’s got nothing to do with Marxism it’s all about this industrial dispute.’

MORE : Another day of rail strikes underway after government accused of ‘wrecking’ talks

MORE : Hugh Laurie a big fan of RMT’s Mick Lynch for ‘cleaning up’ in interviews about rail strikes

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