General Secretary Lynch to stand down from the RMT

So, it is farewell Mick Lynch, who has decided to leave his job as RMT union boss at the relatively young age of 63.

Clearly, having watched the fate of his two predecessors (Bob Crow died in office and Mick Cash left after fierce internal rows), Lynch has decided to depart on his own terms.

His brilliant media performances will be greatly missed. He had the knack (which sadly many Labour ministers do not have) of being able to turn the tables on questioners and to turn what might be seen as radical policies into totally reasonable arguments.

Union news features little in the media these days, unlike in the 1980s when every newspaper had a clutch of ‘industrial correspondents’ whose main task was covering management-worker conflicts.

The RMT, however, is one of the few unions with sufficient industrial muscle to stop the production process and therefore has had considerable success in raising members’ pay and conditions.

Under his leadership, the RMT has been successful in maintaining the number of members and in fighting its corner for them.

Although the union is not affiliated to Labour, Lynch maintained good links with the party - even though at times, privately, ministers were deeply unhappy with the reluctance to negotiate.

The current dispute over additional payments for guards to work on rest days on Avanti, which is scheduled to continue right into May, is bound to test that relationship.

But Lynch has been powerless to stop the more militant members of his union from proceeding with the action.

Indeed, having a radical executive which basically can override the General Secretary has been a consistent feature during the recent history of the union, and that situation is likely to continue under new leadership.

Therefore, even if a moderate is elected, he or she may find themselves beholden to a radical executive committee.