‘Obscene’ pay deal for rail union boss

BOSSES at the trade union whose strike action has caused years of rail commuter misery are enjoying a pay bonanza, with inflationbusting increases to six-figure salaries.

The Sunday Telegraph can reveal that Mick Cash, RMT general secretary, climbed the rankings as one of the best-paid union bosses, taking home £162,004 last year.

Steve Hedley, senior assistant general secretary, saw his pay rise by a fifth to £105,499. Mick Lynch, assistant general secretary, took an £18,000 pay cut but still received £90,307. Michelle Rodgers, its president, had “allowances and expenses” that totalled £57,401.

The draft figures for 2018 were condemned as “obscene” and “hypocritical” by MPs and economic think tanks.

Mr Cash, who took over as RMT leader after the sudden death of Bob Crow in 2014, has led a long-running fight with rail bosses over the operating of carriage doors. Bitter rows have resulted in waves of industrial action.

Jack Brereton, a Tory MP and member of Parliament’s transport committee, said: “It’s absolutely obscene.”

The RMT salaries are likely to raise eyebrows at the TUC’s 2019 Congress, which starts in Brighton today.

Mr Cash’s pay far exceeds that of the general secretary of Unison, Britain’s biggest trade union. Its boss, Dave Prentis, is paid £138,551 to lead 1.4million members. The RMT represents 85,000 workers.

Matthew Lesh, of the Adam Smith Institute, said: “Mick Cash’s complaining about private sector profits are hypocritical given his own fat cat salary.”

A RMT spokesman said: “The pay of RMT officials is open, transparent and democratically approved.”