RMT general secretary Mick Lynch is to retire at the age of 63, after four years at the union’s helm.
Lynch, a qualified electrician, worked in construction for many years before being illegally blacklisted for joining a union.
In 1988, he helped set up the Electrical and Plumbing Industries Union (EPIU) after the Electrical, Electronic, Telecommunications and Plumbing Union (EETPU) was expelled from the TUC for making agreements with companies despite the opposition of other TUC members.
He joined the National Union of Rail, Maritime and Transport Workers (RMT) when he began working for Eurostar in 1993, helping to build a union branch for the new international rail link.
Lynch said that he was incredibly proud to have served the union both as a rank-and-file member and an elected officer.
“It has been a privilege to serve this union for over 30 years in all capacities, but now it is time for change,” he said. “This union has been through a lot of struggles in recent years, and I believe 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.”
Lynch oversaw strikes across the rail network for much of his time in charge, in a longstanding dispute over pay and conditions. The national dispute came to an end in September 2024 when members voted to accept pay offers from Network Rail and the train operating companies.
“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,” said Lynch.
“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.”
He was elected as general secretary in 2021 having also served two terms as assistant general secretary.
The RMT said a timetable for the election of a new general secretary will conclude in the first week of May 2025. Lynch will remain in post until the process concludes.
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