Bob Crow - Trade Union Career and Politics

Trade Union Career and Politics

In 1990 the National Union of Railwaymen merged with the National Union of Seamen to form the National Union of Rail, Maritime and Transport Workers (RMT), and the following year Crow became London Underground representative on the National Executive. In 1991 he became assistant general secretary and on 14 February 2002 Crow was elected by the membership to succeed Jimmy Knapp as General Secretary. He received 12,051 votes in the election — nearly twice as many as the other two candidates put together (Phil Bialyk received 4,512 votes and Ray Spry-Shute received 1,997). Six weeks earlier on 1 January 2002, Crow was attacked outside his home by two men wielding an iron bar. He speculated that he was the victim of hired employer muscle.

As of 2009, Bob Crow's basic salary at RMT was £94,747; a 12% increase from the previous year. His entire pay package with bonuses and pensions was £133,138; on top of this he claimed £9,989 in expenses and £2,376 in travel costs. Despite his six-figure pay package, more than five times the average salary, Bob Crow lives in a subsidised council house whose rent is about £150 per week lower than the market rent.