Mick Lynch

The boss of the UK's biggest rail union accuses the BBC of "parroting" the right-wing press.

"You never show any admiration for the fight that working people are putting up for our country, for the rebalancing of society. Transport Secretary Mark Harper told the BBC he was "very disappointed" that the RMT had rejected the latest pay offer "out of hand" and that isn't "a bottomless pot" of money. Earlier in the interview, Mr Lynch had called for the government "to facilitate a settlement that says 'let's get real and let's put some stuff to the RMT they can cope with and deal with'". "Why are you pursuing an editorial line I could read in The Sun or The Daily Mail or any of the right-wing press in this country, and you're not pursuing the fact that working people - millions of them - are being impoverished and some of them being made destitute by the attitude of this government and by their employers? You never criticise the super-rich for what they're doing to nurses, what they're doing to postal workers, and you never seem to take an impartial view on the way this society is balanced at the moment with the complete lack of distribution of wealth in our society." He accused the BBC of "parroting" the right-wing press.

RMT boss hits out at Today presenter Mishal Husain and also clashes with GMB's Richard Madeley over strikes.

Husain replied: “The question was about the average amount of pay lost by your members through strike action … He added: “What I do find annoying though, Mishal, is that you put these lines that are directly taken from the propaganda of the other side. “You always just seem to punt out anything you receive from the employers and from the government, and that’s what I’m hearing directly through the filter of the BBC this morning.”

RMT boss also gets riled by Mishal Husain on BBC Radio 4 Today programme.

“Richard, why don’t you just interview yourself?” Lynch said before the pair argued over each other as to accountability. So that does not impact, as there will be no trains from the 25th to the 27th. “Why don’t you just stop talking for a second... “But,” he cut back, “Why are you not interested in what Network Rail and the government are doing to the people in this country and impoverishing them?” There will also be an overtime ban across the railways from December 18 until January 2, meaning RMT be taking industrial action for four weeks. Lynch said: “Our strike action is in response to [Network Rail’s position].

Did the RMT Union's general-secretary deliver "low blows" or a "brilliant" takedown of the BBC?

As they continued to interrupt each other, the Today programme presenter asked: “What’s wrong with just saying, on average, our members have sacrificed X numbers of thousands of pounds? “You’re just parroting the most right-wing stuff you can get hold of on behalf of the establishment, and it’s about time you showed some partiality to your listeners and the working class people in this country who are being screwed to the floor by your attitude and policies in this government.” Husain replied: “They’re called questions,” and abruptedly ended the interview. “Why aren’t you interested in what Network Rail and the government are doing to working people across this country, impoverishing them every day?” Husain said: “Because I’m interested in the level of sacrifice.” Lynch said: “Yeah but I read this stuff in The Sun, The Daily Mail and The Telegraph – you’ve taken your lines from the right-wing press.”

The boss of the UK's biggest rail union accuses the BBC of "parroting" the right-wing press.

"You never show any admiration for the fight that working people are putting up for our country, for the rebalancing of society. Transport Secretary Mark Harper told the BBC he was "very disappointed" that the RMT had rejected the latest pay offer "out of hand" and that isn't "a bottomless pot" of money. Earlier in the interview, Mr Lynch had called for the government "to facilitate a settlement that says 'let's get real and let's put some stuff to the RMT they can cope with and deal with'". "Why are you pursuing an editorial line I could read in The Sun or The Daily Mail or any of the right-wing press in this country, and you're not pursuing the fact that working people - millions of them - are being impoverished and some of them being made destitute by the attitude of this government and by their employers? You never criticise the super-rich for what they're doing to nurses, what they're doing to postal workers, and you never seem to take an impartial view on the way this society is balanced at the moment with the complete lack of distribution of wealth in our society." He accused the BBC of "parroting" the right-wing press.

Tens of thousands of rail workers are now facing a difficult Christmas as the RMT does not provide strike pay. Mr Haines, chief executive of Network Rail since ...

“If you were to ask Rachel Reeves or Keir Starmer, would they be happy to pass,full inflation pay awards onto onto the taxpayer, and not look for efficiency in the business? So of course, the government has a legitimate say about how much money is available." So the common denominator here is that the RMT is the disrupter. Network Rail's deal had no such condition because it operates tracks, signals and stations rather than the trains themselves. Mr Haines, 58, said the RMT executive committee overruled negotiators at the start of this month over a deal that would have averted Christmas misery. I say it because it plays into the RMTs hands to blame the government for this. And I don't say that because I'm some sort of government stooge. Mick is their figurehead, but he does not constitutionally have the ability to do a deal.” “And then suddenly we get whammed with a very narrow window of referendum. Which meant even if we've got a yes vote yesterday, we'd have had all the strike disruption. “In all my years of negotiating trade unions. And a neutral position from RMT.

'You're just talking to yourself now, Richard. Why don't you just interview yourself?'

By putting his point across in a calm, articulate manner, he reminded viewers that those in power are the ones to blame, not workers demanding fair compensation for their labour. Why don’t you just interview yourself?” I won’t let you get away with nonsense.” I don’t know when your Christmas starts, but mine starts on Christmas Eve.” Once asked a member of the Birmingham Six: “What do you notice most has changed during your 18 years in jail? He hopes they all go bust thanks to loss of trade, leaving their owners with no money to spend on the trains that, thanks to his anti-Christmas agenda, won’t be running anyway.

In a heated morning media round on Tuesday, the RMT leader also accused Good Morning Britain's Richard Madeley of 'ranting'.

Husain replied: “The question was about the average amount of pay lost by your members through strike action… He added: “What I do find annoying though, Mishal, is that you put these lines that are directly taken from the propaganda of the other side. “You always just seem to punt out anything you receive from the employers and from the Government, and that’s what I’m hearing directly through the filter of the BBC this morning.”

Mike Lynch, General Secretary of the RMT Union, took aim at Richard Madeley during the Mirror's live Facebook debate over impending strikes, describing him ...

Mr Lynch had been answering a question from the public who had quipped: “Can the panel have a minute’s silence for Richard Madeley please.” Mr Lynch went to speak to say it wasn't but Richard still continued to carry on as Mr Lynch said "if you could let me finish" before the pair found themselves in a heated clash as they rowed over the strikes. The interview soon turned sour as Richard accused Mr Lynch and the union of "robbing" businesses of their festive income and causing travel chaos, particularly at this time of year. [BBC](https://www.mirror.co.uk/all-about/bbc) is under a lot of pressure politically from the Tories and I think they’ve collapsed a bit. One of the last questions posed by the public referenced a falling out between Mr Lynch and Mr Madeley on Good Morning Britain. Union boss Mike Lynch joked Richard Madeley is an “Alan Partridge character” during a

The first of two 48-hour strikes at Network Rail and 14 train companies began yesterday.

Richard you’re ranting”, said Lynch. Madeley replied by accusing Lynch of being “disingenuous” and said that “commercial Christmas” started at the beginning of December. He said: “I still take the view that in November he (Mick Lynch) said on this programme he was not going to ruin peoples Christmases, and he is now, Mick Grinch, trying to destroy people’s Christmases.”

Mike Lynch, General Secretary of the RMT Union, took aim at Richard Madeley during the Mirror's live Facebook debate over impending strikes, describing him ...

Mr Lynch went to speak to say it wasn't but Richard still continued to carry on as Mr Lynch said "if you could let me finish" before the pair found themselves in a heated clash as they rowed over the strikes. Mr Lynch had been answering a question from the public who had quipped: “Can the panel have a minute’s silence for Richard Madeley please.” The interview soon turned sour as Richard accused Mr Lynch and the union of "robbing" businesses of their festive income and causing travel chaos, particularly at this time of year. [BBC](https://www.mirror.co.uk/all-about/bbc) is under a lot of pressure politically from the Tories and I think they’ve collapsed a bit. One of the last questions posed by the public referenced a falling out between Mr Lynch and Mr Madeley on Good Morning Britain. Union boss Mike Lynch joked Richard Madeley is an “Alan Partridge character” during a

Mick Lynch, the general secretary of the National Union of Rail, Maritime and Transport Workers (RMT), has been out on the airwaves again justifying why workers ...

‘What I do find annoying though Mishal is that you put these lines that are directly taken from the propaganda from the other side. Why do you need that number? Mick Lynch, the general secretary of the National Union of Rail, Maritime and Transport Workers (RMT), has been out on the airwaves again justifying why workers are right to walk out.