RMT leader Mick Lynch announces plan to retire from country's biggest rail union

Mick Lynch said he will step down as General Secretary of the Rail, Maritime and Transport (RMT), the country's largest rail workers union, a post he has held since 2021

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 after a series of viral interviews during pay strikes over the past two years.

Mr Lynch 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 union said its executive committee has adopted a timetable for the election of a new general secretary which will conclude in the first week of May.

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