Fatcat train union bosses blow £1million on motors to avoid public transport while busy commuters suffer weeks of strikes
Rail union bosses splash out on a fleet of cars for travelling to meetings and avoid rail services
THE union behind rail strikes causing misery to hundreds of thousands of people has spent nearly £1million in the past six years on staff cars.
A fleet of around 25 are provided to workers to reach meetings — as Rail, Maritime and Transport members prevent commuters and families from using the network.
But although general secretary Mick Cash chooses to treat his staff to union cars, the figures do not even include what he and other top officials lavish on their own vehicles.
And the fatcat — whose salary was boosted by £13,000 to £137,344 last year — drives a staff Toyota Prius himself.
Annual figures from the RMT show bosses spent £182,000 on “motor expenses” in 2015, the same amount in 2014, £166,000 in 2013, £149,000 in 2012, £143,000 in 2011 and £120,000 in 2010 — totalling £942,000 in six years.
It allows regional officials to drive around the country in Ford Focuses, Ford Kugas and Toyota Priuses and avoid often unreliable public transport.
Conservative MP Alan Mak, who represents Havant, Hampshire, which is covered by the Southern network, last night condemned the staggering level of spending.
He said: “It’s galling that, whilst my constituents can’t get to work or visit their families due to strikes, trade union bosses splash out on cars for themselves.”
He added that the industrial action has “caused misery and disruption for my constituents and it’s got to stop”.
It has also emerged the union last year spent £48,000 on diaries for its 80,000 members.
The union’s standard membership package is £243 over 12 months.
The RMT raked in nearly £15million from its members but only spent £3million on them in benefits and services.
Spending was for services such as legal advice, accident payments and education courses such as health and safety, and employment law courses at a centre in Doncaster.
Total assets for the union come to £53million but once liabilities are stripped, they are sitting on £46million.
The publicly available accounts show that it has invested in major corporations.
It has £160,000 in Rolls-Royce, £250,000 in British American Tobacco, £282,000 in Vodafone, £550,000 in Marks & Spencer and more than £700,000 across the Lloyds TSB group.
The revelations will be hard to stomach for those enduring rail misery over the summer.
Southern admitted 946 of its normal 2,242 trains were cancelled as the RMT carried out strikes for three days. They were called off two days early to allow new talks over the role of conductors.