The timetable for electing a successor to rail union leader Bob Crow has been announced, with voting set to be held in the summer.
Crow, who increased membership of the Rail, Maritime and Transport union by more than 20,000 during his time as general secretary, died suddenly last month.
The union said nominations will open on April 10 and close on July 2, with voting starting on July 21 and ending on September 22.
The union’s acting general secretary, Mick Cash, announced that he will be standing for the post.
The 54-year-old worked alongside Mr Crow for the past 12 years as the union’s senior assistant general secretary.
Cash, who is from Watford, joined the railway at the age of 18 as a junior railman in British Rail’s Signal and Telecoms department.
He left that frontline job in 2002 to become number two at the RMT.
He has over 35 years’ membership of the RMT during which he has undertaken a wide range of lay and full-time roles. He immediately issued a warning to transport bosses that he was determined to step up the fight for job security and better pay and conditions.
“The bosses should be under no illusions we will be stepping up the fight for jobs and better pay and conditions. We will negotiate to get the best deals but make no mistake we will ballot our members where we have to.
“I will use all my leadership experience to make sure the RMT remains a militant, member-led union,” he said.
Cash also made clear his members’ frustration at the main political parties.
“Working people are simply not being represented by any of the political parties.
“We will only back politicians who back us and I will make sure that the union is at the heart of any discussions to start a new mass party of Labour.”