Nick Ferrari gets owned by RMT general secretary
Mick Lynch continues to show-up journalists and prove himself a number one negotiator, no less during an interview today with Nick Ferrari on LBC where he faced probing over the rail disputes.
Once again, the RMT general secretary had to set the record straight on train workers’ wages, whilst putting the LBC presenter back in his place.
Lynch was presented with a common media ploy that pits working people’s salaries against each other in an attempt to undermine strike action, when asked to justify why his members deserve a pay rise.
Mick Lynch stated: “Some of our members in this dispute are on £18,000, lots of our catering members are on £24,000, £22,000 and our cleaners are on £21,000.”
When Ferrari interjected: “They’re texting about drivers, just to make the point, you don’t act for drivers?”
Lynch replied: “The majority of drivers are not in our union.”
Ferrari pressed on: “But some of them make £50,000 to £60,000 per annum. That’s not bad.”
Lynch: “Some of them do, yes. Lots of people make more than drivers Nick. I mean, there’s people in this room who make far more than train drivers.”
In 2022, LadBible reported Ferrari’s rumoured monthly salary to be around £78,000, emphasis on the monthly.
To which Ferrari responded: “They do but I don’t take their services away. I don’t go on strike when people need me.”
But an ever quick-witted Lynch quipped back: “I bet you’d go to another company if you needed to. If you weren’t getting the right contract.”
“I’m very happy here currently.” Ferrari responded, before he added. “But if ever I need a negotiator, Mr Lynch, do give me your number.”
Lynch highlighted that nearly 70% of rail workers involved in the dispute earn less than £34,000 a year, whilst 50% earn less than £25,000 a year.
During the interview Lynch also drew attention to poverty in work, the destructive effects of austerity and said it was ‘very likely’ that there will be more RMT train strikes, unless a pay deal is achieved.
He also revealed that he had turned down an invitation to speak at Glastonbury festival this week, being too busy with pay disputes, saying it would be ‘a distraction’.
Hannah Davenport is trade union reporter at Left Foot Forward
(Photo credit: LBC / YouTube screenshot)
Left Foot Forward’s trade union reporting is supported by the Barry Amiel and Norman Melburn Trust
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