Introduction

Mick Lynch is leader of the UK's biggest rail workers union, the RMT. He grew up in a poor London neighbourhood and got blacklisted for his union activities on building sites. His commitment and passion as a union man saw him elected to the top job in 2021. The current industrial dispute on Britain's railways is part of a much wider picture of labour unrest with inflation high in much of the world. We have entered a new era of struggle between employers and workers: stakes are high, and the workers win.