RAIL baron Mick Whelan escaped train misery and Britain’s big freeze by flying to Australia for a jolly.
The Aslef chief — hated by millions of hard-working passengers for bringing lines to a standstill — enjoyed 27C heat in Brisbane.
He was basking in the sunshine just a few days after announcing dates for the latest round of strikes.
Whelan, on £150,000 a year, went on the jaunt funded by union members’ subs after announcing walkouts which left shivering folk here facing cancelled trains.
The firebrand was even snapped grinning with a pink sunburned face while wearing a polo shirt and shorts.
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Last night, Transport Secretary Mark Harper said: “Just days after ordering more strikes targeting British passengers, Mick Whelan escaped to a sunny knees-up Down Under.
“It’s one rule for the Aslef union barons who treat the public with contempt, and another one for the rest of us who rely on the railways.”
Whelan went Down Under to join 30th anniversary celebrations for Australia’s Rail, Tram and Bus Union (RTBU).
He enjoyed hospitality at the city’s convention centre, with beer and wine served at a dinner.
Delegates are believed to have stayed at the flashy four-star Rydges South Bank Brisbane hotel.
It boasts 350 luxury rooms starting from £225-per-night — and has a prime position facing the river.
The hotel’s pool bar hosts DJs “to create a party atmosphere” as well as a free wine tasting event with the head sommelier.
Whelan flew 10,000 miles from his London home to Brisbane for the conference, which began on November 21 and ended two days later.
Attendees described the event as a “huge few days” and its fancy dinner “a night of celebration”.
Whelan was snapped with his arms around fellow attendees, some clutching bottles of craft beer.
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An RTBU member posted a snap of a red-faced Whelan on Facebook, writing: “Time to head home from an absolute RIPPER of a RTBU Australia National Council but not before a quick pic (and laugh) with Aslef General Secretary Mick Whelan.”
On November 16, Whelan announced a string of crippling strikes and overtime bans from December 2 to December 8.
News of his trip to Oz will infuriate millions whose own party plans have been ruined by the walkouts.
Aslef said yesterday: “Mick went to the RTBU conference as a reciprocal arrangement because RTBU officials came to our conference this year. He was not out of the country during any industrial action. Nothing untoward happened. It was not a party. Is he not allowed to eat?”
