Mick Cash

Michael Joseph Cash (born 17 February 1960) is general secretary of the National Union of Rail, Maritime and Transport Workers (RMT), a British trade union.

Early life

Cash was born in Brentwood, Essex,[1] the third child of seven of Irish Travellers from County Kildare.[2]

Career

Early career

He became a rail worker for British Rail in 1978, looking after railway signals at the southern end of the West Coast Main Line. He was eventually elected assistant general secretary of the RMT, and was subsequently elected general secretary in September 2014, following the death of Bob Crow, beating four other candidates. He declared that he would continue Crow's policies.[3]

Political positions

He was a member of the Labour Party's National Executive Committee (NEC) until the RMT disassociated itself from the party in 2004, and remains a Labour Party member as he has been since 1982.[4] In that regard, he is widely considered as less radical than his predecessor, Bob Crow.[5]

He served as a Labour councillor on Watford Borough Council for 8 years,[4][6] serving as the Deputy Leader of Watford Labour Group.[7]

As leader of the RMT he voiced support for the United Kingdom leaving the European Union, and this was reflected in advice sent out to RMT members prior to the EU referendum in June 2016.[8]

Coronavirus pandemic

During the COVID-19 pandemic, Cash criticised the Government in its handling of relaxing the lockdown, with him calling on public transport workers to "refuse to work" if they feel unsafe.[9] He also criticised the decision of the Department for Transport to force Mayor of London Sadiq Khan to place two special representatives on the board of Transport for London, stating "London transport workers have been vital to fighting COVID-19 and any attacks on their pay, jobs and conditions arising from this imposed settlement will be a complete betrayal."[10]

Personal life

Cash is a keen football supporter, and follows Watford F.C..[11]

References

1. "Michael J. Cash". FreeBMD. ONS. Retrieved 7 December 2019.
2. Topham, Gwyn (30 September 2014). "RMT union's new 'moderate' leader Mick Cash says 'pick your fights'". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 15 May 2020.
3. Topham, Gwyn (22 September 2014). "RMT union elects Bob Crow's former deputy Mick Cash as leader". The Guardian. Retrieved 23 September 2014.
4. McSmith, Andy (5 October 2014). "Disillusioned with Labour, RMT chief plots new party". The Independent. Retrieved 15 May 2020.
5. Topham, Gwyn (13 August 2016). "Has the RMT union's moderate Mick Cash turned militant?". Retrieved 19 December 2016 – via The Guardian.
6. "'Facts must be faced' after Potters Bar crash". News Shopper. 20 May 2002. Retrieved 15 May 2020.
7. Gall, Gregor (2017). Bob Crow: Socialist, Leader, Fighter: a Political Biography. Manchester, United Kingdom: Manchester University Press. ISBN 978-1-5261-0028-3. OCLC 982012444.
8. "RMT sets out six key reasons for leaving the EU". National Union of Rail, Maritime and Transport Workers. Retrieved 19 December 2016.
9. Cruse, Ellena (13 May 2020). "Trains will be stopped if they become overcrowded, union boss warns". Evening Standard. Retrieved 15 May 2020.
10. "RMT threatens strike over government's 'austerity' TfL deal". Rail News. Retrieved 15 May 2020.
11. Farr, Simon (29 September 2014). "Watford man Mick Cash elected as new leader of the Rail, Maritime and Transport Union". Watford Observer. Retrieved 10 September 2019.

External links

• RMT structure