Bob Crow: Britain's most militant union bruiser

Bob Crow, militant leader of the RMT union, keeps a bust of Lenin in his study and calls his dog Castro. But whatever you think of him and his politics, there's no doubting his effectiveness.

One of Bob Crow's traits is his tendency to fly into a rage at the drop of a hat. The latest to feel "the Crowbar's" cosh is Mervyn King. After urging comrades "to take to the streets to fight cuts", Crow was in no mood to hear the Bank governor's counter-arguments at this week's TUC Congress. What seemed to enrage him most was a picture of King wearing cricket whites in the TUC magazine. "The next minute we will be playing cricket with him," he told colleagues angrily, "to try and warm relations."

Perish the thought, says the Daily Mail. For without the impetus of class warfare, where would Crow be? Almost certainly not on the £133,183 package that he gets as leader of the Rail, Maritime and Transport Workers union. Crow has carved "an unenviable reputation" as Britain's most militant union baron. A former communist, he models himself on Arthur Scargill.

Subscribe to MoneyWeek

Subscribe to MoneyWeek today and get your first six magazine issues absolutely FREE

Get 6 issues free
https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/flexiimages/mw70aro6gl1676370748.jpg

Sign up to Money Morning

Don't miss the latest investment and personal finances news, market analysis, plus money-saving tips with our free twice-daily newsletter

Don't miss the latest investment and personal finances news, market analysis, plus money-saving tips with our free twice-daily newsletter

Sign up
MoneyWeek

MoneyWeek is written by a team of experienced and award-winning journalists, plus expert columnists. As well as daily digital news and features, MoneyWeek also publishes a weekly magazine, covering investing and personal finance. From share tips, pensions, gold to practical investment tips - we provide a round-up to help you make money and keep it.