Mick Lynch, a London-born individual of Irish descent, first came into the UK’s national spotlight a couple of summers back. This occurred during a time of widespread train strikes, when his composed, yet sharp responses to media inquiries caught people’s attention and spread far and wide on social media platforms. His succinct reasoning behind the strikes, which were carried out in response to unsuccessful pay and conditions negotiations, quickly found their way onto coffee mugs and T-shirts. In his words, he questioned what other course of action they had if not to demand better for their futures.
Born to an Irish parentage in Paddington, West London, in 1962, Lynch’s parents were Ellen Morris from Crossmaglen, Co Armagh, and Jackie Lynch from Cork. Lynch trained as an electrician before ascending the ranks to become the general secretary of the National Union of Rail, Maritime and Transport Workers (RMT). He achieved this while simultaneously earning a history degree at the London School of Economics. Despite his employment at construction sites being obstructed due to his trade union activism, he persisted.
Married to a National Health Service nurse of Mayo descent, Lynch is an Irish passport holder and holds James Connolly and Constance Markievicz in high esteem as his heroes. His life story, as documented in this book, isn’t a generic biography; it’s an analysis and assessment of Lynch as a ‘working-class hero’, a concept popularised by former Beatle, John Lennon’s 1970 song.
The book, according to its author, who also happens to be an industrial relations professor at the University of Leeds, is both an appraisal and a critique. Despite being an academic work, the author asserts that the text avoids excessive jargon and is more understandable than most scholarly publications. It does, however, offer extensive insight into the internal workings of the RMT and other trade unions.
Lynch, who receives an annual income of £100,000 and owns a house in Ealing valued at nearly £1 million, is deemed a working-class hero more for his words than his actions. This is because he has been unsuccessful in improving pay and working conditions for rail workers, according to the book.
The book, which compiles all of Lynch’s public statements including his contentious support for Brexit, was written without a direct interview from Lynch. The book’s critics label him as dictatorial and controlling.