Transport union leader Mick Lynch has said union bosses need to do more to combat flaring anti-immigration protests across the UK and Ireland.

The RMT (National Union of Rail, Maritime and Transport Workers) boss, who has risen to prominence in recent years during public transport strikes in England, gave the annual Connolly Lecture on the opening day of Feile an Phobail at St Mary’s University College on Thursday.

The union leader’s comments come amid anti-immigrant disorder in the Southport area of England after three children were killed in a knife attack at a summer school.

Disorder has also been seen in recent months in the Republic with attacks against premises hosting asylum seekers in Dublin and other areas. This Saturday anti-immigrant protests have been organised in Belfast in response to the killings of Bebe King (6), Elsie Dot Stancombe (7) and Alice Dasilva Aguiar (9).

Far-right thugs in violent clashes with police as unrest spreads to cities across UK - by Independent

Violent outbreaks spread across the UK on Saturday with far-right thugs hurling bricks, bottles and chairs at the police as demonstrations broke out in more than half a dozen cities.

Home secretary Yvette Cooper condemned the “thuggery” and “criminal disorder” that has followed in the wake of the tragic Southport stabbings, warning that anyone involved in the ongoing violence “will pay the price”.

“Criminal violence and disorder has no place on Britain’s streets,” she said on Saturday afternoon following clashes in cities including Liverpool, Manchester, Leeds, Hull, Nottingham and Belfast.

This isn’t a “thuggery” issue, this is a social media and class issue. Standing with Bristol’s counter-protestors, who had outnumbered the right-wing protestors, I heard chants that weren’t about unity but instead division, polarizing both sides further. “Fuck off nazi fascist” might sound good, might be somewhat correct, but a large number of the protestors on the right are working-class people who have been told by GB News that migrants are the cause of our woes. We need a loud and informed slogan that will pull them back.

TUSC and unions are using “Fight the bosses, not migrants - fund our NHS and services,” a non-divisive slogan laying the blame where it truly belongs. Meanwhile, BBC’s reporting has captured and repeated the anarchist slogan of “Refugees are welcome.” This slogan is made to offend and to stir aggression in our division. We can’t allow the capitalist media to spin our program and fight by giving them easy wins with vapid slogans.

We need a slogan for the workers. I will be in Plymouth tomorrow as part of a counter-protest led by the trade unions, and I will be chanting “Fight the bosses, not migrants,” pushing for a workers’ party.