Bob Crow

Bob Crow
Crow at Industri Energi's Styrke conference in 2012
Born	Robert Crow (1961-06-13)13 June 1961 Epping, Essex, England
Died	11 March 2014(2014-03-11) (aged 52) Whipps Cross, London, England
Cause of death	Heart attack
Nationality	English
Occupation	Trade union leader

Robert "Bob" Crow (13 June 1961 – 11 March 2014) was an English trade union leader who served as the General Secretary of the National Union of Rail, Maritime and Transport Workers (RMT) from 2002 until his death. He was also a member of the General Council of the Trades Union Congress (TUC). A self-described "communist/socialist", he was a leading figure in the No to EU – Yes to Democracy campaign.

Crow joined London Transport in 1977 and soon became involved in trade unionism. He was regarded as part of the Awkward Squad, a loose grouping of left-wing union leaders who came to power in a series of electoral victories beginning in 2002. After he became leader, the RMT's membership increased from around 57,000 in 2002 to more than 80,000 in 2008, making it one of Britain's fastest-growing trade unions.

Crow was a polarising figure in British politics. Supporters praised him as a champion of the working class and a successful trade unionist; critics argued that he held London to ransom with strikes and placed union members above other working people

Born in Epping, Essex to Lillian (née Hutton) and George Crow., his background was working-class, a fact of which he remained proud throughout his life. Crow's father was a docker who taught him to read both the Morning Star and the Financial Times, but to disbelieve everything in the latter. His father also was a lifelong member of the Transport and General Workers Union. His family subsequently moved to Hainault. He left school at 16 and joined London Transport, there becoming involved in union politics. His first job was making the tea, then he worked as part of a tree-felling group in 1977, before moving onto heavy track repairing. In 1983, he was elected as a local representative to the National Union of Railwaymen (NUR) and in 1985 became NUR national officer for track workers.