The head of Network Rail today claimed Mick Lynch was lashing out because he was worried about eroding support for his Christmas rail walkouts after a series of fiery media appearances by the RMT boss this morning.
The union chief clashed with Good Morning Britain’s Richard Madeley before another tense exchange with the BBC’s Mishal Husain, who he accused of ‘parroting’ right-wing ‘propaganda’.
Network Rail CEO Andrew Haines said Mr Lynch was ‘worried that strikes won’t hold for 10 days’ and ‘knows he’s got to find a way to do a deal’. He told the Telegraph the ‘heightened level of aggression’ from him was due to a vote which exposed eroding support for the strikes.
Some 36.4 per cent of RMT members at Network Rail who voted did not follow the union leadership’s advice to reject a 9 per cent pay deal. A total of 63 per cent of voting members backed the walkouts – which entered their first day today – compared to 91 per cent before.
The union chief clashed with Good Morning Britain’s Richard Madeley before another tense exchange with the BBC’s Mishal Husain
![Network Rail CEO Andrew Haines said Mr Lynch was 'worried that strikes won't hold for 10 days' and 'knows he's got to find a way to do a deal'](https://i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2022/12/13/16/65542737-11533895-image-m-8_1670949293378.jpg)
Network Rail CEO Andrew Haines said Mr Lynch was ‘worried that strikes won’t hold for 10 days’ and ‘knows he’s got to find a way to do a deal’
![Meanwhile, Simon Jupp, Tory MP for East Devon, claimed the union boss was 'rattled'](https://i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2022/12/13/16/65542765-11533895-image-a-9_1670949324574.jpg)
Meanwhile, Simon Jupp, Tory MP for East Devon, claimed the union boss was ‘rattled’
Meanwhile, Simon Jupp, Tory MP for East Devon, tweeted: ‘Mick Lynch is rattled. He’s lost the argument and continues to lose the little support he had for strike action over Christmas.’
The latest YouGov poll, released on November 29, found 47 of Britons opposed the RMT’s strike action, while 41 per cent supported it.
This morning, Mr Madeley put it to Mr Lynch that the rail strikes were targeting people at Christmas and could put hoteliers, restauranteur and retailers out of business during a normally busy time of year.
The union boss, speaking from a picket line in London, replied: ‘We’re not targeting Christmas, it isn’t Christmas yet, Richard, I don’t know when your Christmas starts but mine starts on Christmas Eve.’
Mr Madeley branded that statement as ‘disingenuous’, adding: ‘Commercial Christmas starts in December, you know that.’
As the pair spoke over each other, Mr Lynch said: ‘Richard, why don’t you just interview yourself?’
He later added: ‘I have no intention of spoiling people’s Christmas. The Government is contributing to that spoiling of the people’s Christmas because they’ve brought these strikes on by stopping the companies from making suitable proposals.
‘That’s the position that we’re in and we’ll have to keep this dispute going until we get a reasonable settlement and a reasonable set of proposals that our members want to accept.’
At one point during the exchange, Mr Madeley told Mr Lynch to ‘jog on’.
The RMT general secretary had another fiery exchange on BBC Radio 4’s Today programme, where he accused presenter Mishal Husain of repeating Government ‘propaganda’ after objecting to her line of questioning.
![The union boss also took exception to BBC presenter Mishal Husain asking him the average amount of pay lost by RMT members through the strike period](https://i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2022/12/13/10/65530667-11532235-image-m-15_1670927889864.jpg)
The union boss also took exception to BBC presenter Mishal Husain asking him the average amount of pay lost by RMT members through the strike period
![December's 'Calendar of Chaos' with strikes happening across several sectors](https://i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2022/12/13/10/65494895-11532235-December_s_Calendar_of_Chaos_with_strikes_happening_across_sever-a-13_1670927594460.jpg)
December’s ‘Calendar of Chaos’ with strikes happening across several sectors
![](https://i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2022/12/13/09/65528105-11531995-image-a-34_1670922205862.jpg)
![Stationary trains sit in the sidings at Ely railway station in Cambridgeshire on Tuesday as a fresh wave of rail strikes began, kicking off a 'December of discontent'](https://i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2022/12/13/09/65529093-11531995-image-a-39_1670924277982.jpg)
Stationary trains sit in the sidings at Ely railway station in Cambridgeshire on Tuesday as a fresh wave of rail strikes began, kicking off a ‘December of discontent’
Ms Husain pointed to figures showing that 63 per cent of RMT members who voted chose to reject a pay offer yesterday compared to 91 per cent at an earlier ballot in November.
‘It seems that backing for strikes among the membership is falling – do you accept that?’ the presenter said.
Mr Lynch replied: ‘Well that’s what the government and Network Rail are telling you and you’re prepared to push that line because they’re telling you too.
‘You’re just parroting the most right-wing stuff that you can get hold of on behalf of the establishment.’
The RMT boss also took exception to Ms Husain asking him the average amount of pay lost by RMT members through the strike period.
He said: ‘What I do find annoying, Mishal, is that you take these lines that are taken from the propaganda of the other side…
‘You never seem to take an impartial view on the way this society is balanced at the moment and the complete lack of distribution of wealth in this society, you just seem to punt out what you get from the employers and the government.’
Mr Lynch also claimed the presenter was ‘parroting the right-wing press’.
Ms Husain, who remained calm throughout the exchange, said at the end of the interview: ‘They’re called questions.’
Britons are facing fresh misery today as a month of walkouts began, with RMT members staging their first wave of 48-hour strikes amid a cold snap continuing to grip the UK.
Up to 40,000 railway workers who belong to the union are pressing ahead with two 48-hour strikes at Network Rail – and 14 train companies – from Tuesday and Friday.
![Passengers sat with their luggage on the concourse at Euston station in central London](https://i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2022/12/13/09/65529095-11531995-image-a-41_1670924288845.jpg)
Passengers sat with their luggage on the concourse at Euston station in central London
![Waterloo station was eerily quiet on Tuesday morning as the first wave of48-hour rail strikes began](https://i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2022/12/13/09/65529089-11531995-image-a-40_1670924283947.jpg)
Waterloo station was eerily quiet on Tuesday morning as the first wave of48-hour rail strikes began
The next four weeks resembles an advent calendar of industrial action, amid fears that unions are forcing Britons into an effective lockdown by shutting down critical services during the Christmas period.
Workers across many other industries will down tools, among them bus drivers, Royal Mail workers, nurses and highway workers who are all set to strike this week over jobs, pay and conditions.
Last ditch talks to spare commuters a month of rail strike hell collapsed last night, meaning many face another miserable ‘virtual Christmas’.
The RMT’s decision to reject a new pay deal which, along with heavy snow, threatens to grind the country to a halt through the festive period, means millions of workers now expected to work from home until the new year.
Network Rail has warned there will be significantly reduced services, with trains more crowded and likely to start later and finish earlier until January 8.
Transport Secretary Mark Harper said that people are facing another Covid-style ‘virtual Christmas’ as a result of the rail strikes.
![The big freeze: Commuters seen crossing Waterloo Bridge this morning as rail strikes begin amid snow, ice and fog warnings](https://i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2022/12/13/10/65530169-11531995-image-a-53_1670926610544.jpg)
Commuters seen crossing Waterloo Bridge this morning as rail strikes begin amid snow, ice and fog warnings
![Heavy traffic on the A40 at Perivale, west London, as a month of walkouts begins with railway staff staging their first wave of 48-hour strikes](https://i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2022/12/13/10/65528099-11532235-Heavy_traffic_on_the_A40_at_Perivale_west_London_as_a_month_of_w-a-10_1670927571630.jpg)
Heavy traffic on the A40 at Perivale, west London, as a month of walkouts begins with railway staff staging their first wave of 48-hour strikes
![Passengers crowded on a platform at White City underground station on the first day of rail strikes](https://i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2022/12/13/08/65526667-11531995-image-a-23_1670918527036.jpg)
Passengers crowded on a platform at White City underground station on the first day of rail strikes
![Commuters walk over Waterloo Bridge as temperatures plunged during a cold snap](https://i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2022/12/13/10/65530171-11532235-Commuters_walk_over_Waterloo_Bridge_as_temperatures_plunged_duri-a-11_1670927571632.jpg)
Commuters walk over Waterloo Bridge as temperatures plunged during a cold snap
![Platforms at Waterloo station, a busy central London railway hub, were quieter than usual as the rail strikes took effect](https://i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2022/12/13/10/65530177-11531995-image-a-54_1670926616606.jpg)
Platforms at Waterloo station, a busy central London railway hub, were quieter than usual as the rail strikes took effect
He told GB News: ‘These rail strikes are going to force some families to have another virtual Christmas and I think that is terrible when the unions have had a very reasonable pay offer.’
Meanwhile, Government plans to introduce legislation in the New Year that will impose limits on strikes in the public sector could include higher thresholds for strike ballots.
Asked about the threat of new laws to restrict strike action, Mr Harper said: ‘We’ve already introduced the legislation recently on minimum service levels in the transport sector.
‘And one of the things that the Prime Minister is very keen to do is to widen that legislation to deal with other areas of policy and work is taking place at pace on that and that legislation will be introduced at the earliest possible opportunity.’
Official figures published this morning found that the number of working days lost to strikes last month reached the highest in more than a decade.
![Commuters faced fresh misery as rail strikes began today as the Met Office said more ice and snow is on the way](https://i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2022/12/13/08/65527829-11531995-image-a-33_1670921634623.jpg)
Commuters faced fresh misery as rail strikes began today as the Met Office said more ice and snow is on the way
![There was heavy traffic on the Blackwall Tunnel as a fresh series of rail strikes began today](https://i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2022/12/13/08/65527011-11531995-image-a-26_1670919560286.jpg)
There was heavy traffic on the Blackwall Tunnel as a fresh series of rail strikes began today
![RMT union baron Mike Lynch was out on a picket line as another round of rail strikes begin](https://i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2022/12/13/10/65526671-11532235-RMT_union_baron_Mike_Lynch_was_out_on_a_picket_line_as_another_r-a-12_1670927571633.jpg)
RMT union baron Mike Lynch was out on a picket line as another round of rail strikes begin
![London Euston station appeared empty on Tuesday morning as the first series of rail strikes began](https://i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2022/12/13/09/65528557-11531995-image-a-37_1670923211679.jpg)
London Euston station appeared empty on Tuesday morning as the first series of rail strikes began
The Office for National Statistics said 417,000 working days were lost because of labour disputes in October 2022 – the highest since November 2011.
December is being billed as the ‘new winter of discontent’ amid fears the unions are forcing the UK into a lockdown by crippling critical services over Christmas.
As the rail strikes took hold, stunned tourists blasted the lack of trains at Richmond station in southwest London.
Australian tourists Alan and Janelle Hale said they were ‘disgusted’ by the strikes and feared their day of sightseeing in central London would be wrecked.
Mr Hale, 54, said:’ What has happened to his country. It is just disgusting… how can you have no trains running. I was here seven years ago and everything worked. Now, it is just awful’.
![Official figures published this morning found that the number of working days lost to strikes last month reached the highest in more than a decade](https://i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2022/12/13/09/65528567-11531995-image-a-36_1670923200833.jpg)
Official figures published this morning found that the number of working days lost to strikes last month reached the highest in more than a decade
![There was significant traffic on the M25 this morning as rail strikes commence and freezing temperatures persist](https://i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2022/12/13/07/65526555-11532101-image-a-1_1670917799261.jpg)
There was significant traffic on the M25 this morning as rail strikes commence and freezing temperatures persist
![There was heavy traffic on the Blackwall Tunnel as a fresh series of rail strikes began today](https://i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2022/12/13/08/65526669-11531995-image-a-24_1670918532751.jpg)
There was heavy traffic on the Blackwall Tunnel as a fresh series of rail strikes began today
The business owner from New South Wales added: ‘I went to ask someone when we could expect a train and they just shrugged their shoulders.
‘This is the last time I bother to come over to this country. I can’t tell how disappointed we are.’
Commuters attempting to beat the strikes by driving were met with long queues on almost all roads leading into London.
Cars leaving the M3 and heading into London faced queues of up to three miles along the A316. A four-mile journey took almost an hour.
One traveller waiting at Richmond had taken a taxi from her home in Shepperton in an attempt to beat the rail strike.
But she was forced to abandon the trip and get out at Richmond as the fare was becoming too expensive.
![Alan and Janelle Hale at Richmond station in southwest London](https://i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2022/12/13/10/65529911-11532235-Alan_and_Janelle_Hale_at_Richmond_station_in_southwest_London-a-2_1670927571560.jpg)
Alan and Janelle Hale at Richmond station in southwest London
![Commuters were told that District line services were currently suspended due to a signal failure and SWR services were not running](https://i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2022/12/13/10/65529913-11532235-Commuters_were_told_that_District_line_services_were_currently_s-a-3_1670927571562.jpg)
Commuters were told that District line services were currently suspended due to a signal failure and SWR services were not running
![Hundreds of passengers found themselves stuck at Richmond station in southwest London on Tuesday morning](https://i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2022/12/13/10/65529915-11531995-image-a-51_1670925840030.jpg)
Hundreds of passengers found themselves stuck at Richmond station in southwest London on Monday morning
Jane, 24, said he had wanted to cut the car journey short and get the district line into Hammersmith – but ended up standing by the entry gates with dozens of others.
Meanwhile, commuters in Crowborough faced a double whammy this morning getting into work – icy roads and a train strike.
The hilltop town – one of the highest points in East Sussex – still had a lot of snow blanketing roads, which had now also turned icy, and the rail station was closed due to industrial action.
Civil servant Chloe Morris, 40, was supposed to be heading into her office near Victoria station in Central London but had to stay home.
![Commuters were warned about strike action as they arrived at London Waterloo on Tuesday](https://i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2022/12/13/10/65529581-11531995-image-a-52_1670925844050.jpg)
Commuters were warned about strike action as they arrived at London Waterloo on Tuesday
![A passenger looks at the departure board at Paddington station in London](https://i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2022/12/13/10/65525681-11532235-A_passenger_looks_at_the_departure_board_at_Paddington_station_i-a-4_1670927571564.jpg)
A passenger looks at the departure board at Paddington station in London
![TomTom data showed that hourly congestion levels were higher than normal this morning](https://i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2022/12/13/10/65526865-11532235-TomTom_data_showed_that_hourly_congestion_levels_were_higher_tha-a-5_1670927571567.jpg)
TomTom data showed that hourly congestion levels were higher than normal this morning
![](https://i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2022/12/13/08/65527753-11531995-image-a-28_1670921352621.jpg)
![](https://i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2022/12/13/10/65527751-11532235-image-a-1_1670927571477.jpg)
![Workers took to social media to say they would be working from home due to the rail strikes and frosty weather](https://i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2022/12/13/10/65527749-11532235-Workers_took_to_social_media_to_say_they_would_be_working_from_h-a-6_1670927571569.jpg)
Workers took to social media to say they would be working from home due to the rail strikes and frosty weather
Walking back home, she said: ‘I would normally get the train into London but the strike has put paid to that.
‘I wouldn’t drive in because I don’t think all the roads are clear yet.
‘I drove back from London on Sunday evening as the snowstorm hit and was stranded in East Grinstead. I had to stay overnight in a Premier Inn.
‘It’s unfortunate but I can use video conference with my team from home.
‘I’d rather be in the office and there was something important for me to be in today but there isn’t much I can do about it.’
Britons had to sacrifice seeing loved ones over the holiday period in 2020 and 2021 due to the coronavirus pandemic – but now face having to do the same due to rail disruption.
![There was heavy traffic on the Blackwall Tunnel as a fresh series of rail strikes began today](https://i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2022/12/13/10/65525961-11532235-There_was_heavy_traffic_on_the_Blackwall_Tunnel_as_a_fresh_serie-a-7_1670927571573.jpg)
There was heavy traffic on the Blackwall Tunnel as a fresh series of rail strikes began today
![Manchester Victoria station was empty this morning as a series of strikes which could cause major disruption to key services ahead of Christmas begin](https://i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2022/12/13/10/65525387-11532235-Manchester_Victoria_station_was_empty_this_morning_as_a_series_o-a-9_1670927571613.jpg)
Manchester Victoria station was empty this morning as a series of strikes which could cause major disruption to key services ahead of Christmas begin
![A woman sleeps on a bench at Paddington station in London as rail strikes begin](https://i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2022/12/13/07/65525991-11531995-image-a-13_1670915496253.jpg)
A woman sleeps on a bench at Paddington station in London as rail strikes begin
![Trains pictured out of action on Tuesday morning in Ely, Cambridgeshire](https://i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2022/12/13/09/65529091-11531995-image-a-43_1670924293341.jpg)
Trains pictured out of action on Tuesday morning in Ely, Cambridgeshire
![RMT union members stood on a picket line outside Victoria station in central London despite the freezing temperatures](https://i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2022/12/13/10/65529097-11532235-RMT_union_members_stood_on_a_picket_line_outside_Victoria_statio-a-8_1670927571581.jpg)
RMT union members stood on a picket line outside Victoria station in central London despite the freezing temperatures
As a result, some may be feeling increasingly resigned to only seeing their loved ones via Zoom or other video conferencing tools once again – laying waste to a third Christmas in a row.
With train strikes going ahead this after members of the RMT rejected a pay offer, Network Rail chief executive Andrew Haines said it is hard to see hope in the negotiations.
Asked if there is a glimmer of hope in the negotiations, Mr Haines told BBC Breakfast: ‘It’s hard to see that today. I’ve learned, you know, through a long career, that sometimes the light is just around the corner.
‘But where I stand today, I’d have to say that with the level of disruption the RMT are imposing, the way forward isn’t obvious.’
Meanwhile, talks last night to avert the nursing strike failed after the union leader behind the action accused Health Secretary Steve Barclay of ‘belligerence’ and refusing to discuss pay.
Nurses in England, Wales and Northern Ireland now seem set to begin their first day of strike action on Thursday after talks ended in acrimony.
Royal College of Nursing (RCN) general secretary Pat Cullen said nurses were ‘not getting an extra penny’ despite their talks on Monday.
Nurses in England, Wales and Northern Ireland now seem set to begin their first day of strike action on Thursday, with a second date set for Tuesday.
Transport Secretary Mr Harper told Sky News on Tuesday that ‘the 19 per cent pay rise that the nurses are asking for isn’t affordable.’
‘I don’t think it’s reasonable and it would take money away from frontline healthcare,’ he said.
Cabinet minister Oliver Dowden warned the Government ‘cannot eliminate’ the risks of a wave of strike action throughout the month after chairing an emergency Cobra meeting on Monday.
He said ministers will be ‘straining every sinew’ to minimise the disruption, with paramedics, postal workers and border officials among those scheduled to walk out.
Health minister Will Quince admitted that taxis could be used to transport patients during ambulance strikes on December 21 and 28.
He told MPs it is ‘likely’ that category one and two calls ‘where there is an immediate threat to life will be responded to’.
But he added: ‘We are looking at ways in which we can provide additional support for category three and category four, including things such as block-booking taxis and support through community healthcare, local authority fall services and community support.’
In the rail strikes, the RMT said 63.6 per cent voted to reject Network Rail’s offer on an 83 per cent turnout in what general secretary Mick Lynch said was a ‘huge rejection’ of the public body’s ‘substandard offer’.
‘The Government is refusing to lift a finger to prevent these strikes and it is clear they want to make effective strike action illegal in Britain,’ the union boss added.
‘We will resist that and our members, along with the entire trade union movement, will continue their campaign for a square deal for workers, decent pay increases and good working conditions.’
A strike by members of Unite at Network Rail will not go ahead after they voted to accept the offer.
Network Rail had offered a 5 per cent pay rise for this year – backdated to January – with another 4 per cent at the start of 2023 and a guarantee of no compulsory job losses until January 2025.
The RMT’s executive recommended rejecting the offer, saying it was linked to ‘significant’ changes to working practices.
Trains are only running from 7.30am to 6.30pm on this week’s strike days, although many parts of the country will have no services, including most of Scotland and Wales.
RMT workers at Network Rail will also strike from 6pm on Christmas Eve until 6am on December 27.
Talks between Mr Barclay and Ms Cullen failed to find a breakthrough, with the Health Secretary refusing to negotiate on pay.
‘The Government was true to its word – they would not talk to me about pay,’ the RCN boss said in a statement.
‘I needed to come out of this meeting with something serious to show nurses why they should not strike this week. Regrettably, they are not getting an extra penny.
‘Ministers had too little to say and I had to speak at length about the unprecedented strength of feeling in the profession.
‘I expressed my deep disappointment at the belligerence – they have closed their books and walked away.’
The union is demanding a pay rise of five per cent above the RPI rate of inflation, which was 14.2 per cent in October, but Ms Cullen has hinted that she could compromise if the Government negotiates on pay.
Mr Barclay has been sticking with the independent pay review body’s recommendation of a £1,400 raise.
He was under increasing pressure to settle a deal after strikes by ambulance staff and some NHS workers in Scotland were called off after members of two unions voted to accept the Scottish Government’s recent pay deal.
Unite and Unison members called off action after negotiations with Health Secretary Humza Yousaf and the intervention of First Minister Nicola Sturgeon.
The new deal would mean NHS workers in Scotland would remain the best-paid in the UK and workers would get pay rises ranging from £2,205 to £2,751.
For the lowest paid it would be a rise of 11.3 per cent, with an average rise of 7.5 per cent.
A Department of Health and Social Care spokesman said Mr Barclay ‘again listened to the RCN’s position on pay and reiterated the Government has agreed to the recommendations of the independent pay review body’.
‘He said that any further pay increase would mean taking money away from frontline services and reducing the 7.2 million elective backlog,’ the official added.
Meanwhile, Mr Dowden, the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster, chaired the meeting of the Government’s emergency response committee, with military figures in attendance.
He reiterated pleas for workers to call off action to ‘give families a break’ but admitted contingency plans to use troops to help fill the gaps will not be enough to ‘remove all risks’.
‘Of course, this Government will be straining every sinew to make sure that we minimise those risks, but we cannot eliminate them,’ he told broadcasters.
‘The fair and reasonable thing for the unions to do particularly in a time when winter is biting, we’re suffering from the consequences of Ukraine and indeed the Covid situation, to call off those strikes, give families a break, particularly over winter time.’
![Empty platforms at Manchester Victoria station as the first wave of 48-hour rail strikes begin](https://i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2022/12/13/06/65525389-11531995-image-a-2_1670913221489.jpg)
Empty platforms at Manchester Victoria station as the first wave of 48-hour rail strikes begin
The union Grinch holding Christmas to ‘ransom’: Firebrand RMT boss Mick Lynch who is paralysing Britain with crippling rail strikes earns £120,000-a-year total pay package and lives in London home worth nearly £1m
Mick Lynch – the face of the rail strikes currently crippling the country – is a 1970s-style union firebrand who once sighed ‘All I want from life is a bit of socialism’ – but now collects a salary of more than £84,000 a year.
The RMT boss has earned the moniker ‘Mick Grinch’, and was today accused by Good Morning Britain’s Richard Madeley of helping to drive High Street firms out of business by forcing their customers to stay at home over a crucial trading period.
Fortunately, things are looking more rosy for Mr Lynch himself, with the union chief boasting a £84,174 salary – and his total remuneration reportedly rising over £120,000 once other benefits, including pension contributions, are taken into account.
He currently lives in a four-bedroom terraced house in Ealing which is worth nearly £1million – an impressive increase on the £394,000 he is said to have paid for the property in 2008.
![The RMT boss has earned the moniker 'Mick Grinch', earns a £84,174 salary - while his total remuneration package reportedly exceeds £120,000](https://i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2022/12/13/13/65534471-11532235-The_RMT_boss_has_earned_the_moniker_Mick_Grinch_earns_a_84_174_s-a-2_1670936608424.jpg)
The RMT boss has earned the moniker ‘Mick Grinch’, earns a £84,174 salary – while his total remuneration package reportedly exceeds £120,000
Mr Lynch, who has three children with his with NHS nurse wife Mary, originally hails from Paddington in central London, where he grew up on a council estate as one of five siblings.
His Irish Catholic parents came to London as teenagers during the Blitz, and Mr Lynch has described a traditional Irish upbringing.
‘We did all the traditional Irish stuff: Catholic primary school, Catholic secondary school,’ he told the Sunday Independent.
‘There was a lot of Irish people in our community, but it was very diverse as well. We were always well-fed and decently turned out, as you would expect from an Irish mother, but we didn’t have any ”spare” money.
‘We never had a family holiday together, for example. Sometimes a couple of us would go back to Ireland now and again, but we never all went back together at the same time. It was difficult to manage with five kids.’
![He currently lives in a four-bedroom terraced house in Ealing which is worth nearly £1million - an impressive increase on the £394,000 he is said to have paid for the property in 2008](https://i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2022/12/13/13/65534407-11532235-He_currently_lives_in_a_four_bedroom_terraced_house_in_Ealing_wh-a-3_1670936608426.jpg)
He currently lives in a four-bedroom terraced house in Ealing which is worth nearly £1million – an impressive increase on the £394,000 he is said to have paid for the property in 2008
Mr Lynch left school at 16 and trained as an electrician but was blacklisted due to union activity, so joined the railways.
Unable to find work, in 1993 he began working for Eurostar, and became active in the RMT.
He previous served two terms as assistant general secretary of the union before being appointed acting general secretary in 2020 due to Mick Cash experiencing ill health.
Despite stepping down from the role after accusing members of the RMT’s executive committee of bullying, Mr Lynch won an election and took the role on permanently in 2021.
He was considered a centrist compared with former general secretary Bob Crow — but, after taking charge, he said: ‘The unions have got to make a militant stand – and use the strike weapon wherever it’s appropriate’.
A strident Republican, he attracted criticism after threatening at one point to stage industrial action over the Platinum Jubilee weekend at Green Park Tube station, the closest to Buckingham Palace, and Euston railway station, one of the busiest in the country.
But while he may be hated by many commuters, his combative media appearances have won him the support of legions of online fans.
Today, he accused the BBC of ‘parroting’ right-wing propaganda in its coverage of the rail strikes during a heated morning media round.
Meanwhile, he slammed GMB’s Richard Madeley for ‘ranting’ as he was interviewed about widespread industrial action.
![On his Facebook page, Mr Lynch's profile picture is of The Hood, the terrorist and criminal mastermind in Thunderbirds](https://i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2022/12/13/13/58845181-11532235-On_his_Facebook_page_Mr_Lynch_s_profile_picture_is_of_The_Hood_t-m-5_1670936618033.jpg)
On his Facebook page, Mr Lynch’s profile picture is of The Hood, the terrorist and criminal mastermind in Thunderbirds
Members of his union are pressing ahead with two 48-hour strikes at Network Rail – and 14 train companies – from Tuesday and Friday, with further action planned over the Christmas period.
Network Rail had offered a 5% pay rise for this year – backdated to January – with another 4% at the start of 2023 and a guarantee of no compulsory job losses until January 2025.
The RMT’s executive recommended rejecting the offer, saying it was linked to ‘significant’ changes to working practices.
Mr Lynch recently won the praise of the New York Times, with a recent piece by an opinion writer calling him an ‘unlikely national hero’.
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