A MARRIED railway union chief was caught in an affair with a train driver 19 years his junior.
Dicky Fisher (62) from the striking Aslef spent Thursday evening with Kerry Cassidy (43) in a hotel in Birmingham.
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Married union boss Dicky Fisher collects £3,000 a month on his Aslef credit card Credit: Roland Leon
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Married Fisher, 62, is also enjoying a relationship with fellow official Kerry Cassidy, 43. Credit: Roland Leon
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Fisher with militant friends Jeremy Corbyn and Mick Whelan
A source said: “Both are away on union business and what’s worse Aslef funded it.”
Although legal, his expense claims will shock union members who are forgoing pay to go on strike.
Expenses documents seen by The Sun reveal Fisher’s lavish trips, huge bar bills and corporate credit card joyrides funded by union members.
It is understood that Fisher’s wife, Nancy, suspected that his affair had been going on for a year.
He and Cassidy met in hotels paid for by the union and in a flat he owns in London.
On Thursday, the pair stayed in Birmingham ahead of the Aslef training weekend, arriving a day earlier than most delegates.
They were photographed kissing and holding hands before returning to the hotel at 12:30 p.m.
A source said: “Dicky’s behavior is disgraceful.
“It’s an open secret that he had an affair.
“His wife feels deeply hurt and betrayed.
“He was leading a double life and carrying on with Kerry while they were both away on union business, and what’s worse Aslef was funding it, even if the costs were justified in themselves.”
District 6 organizer Fisher, of Leighton Buzzard, Beds, spent 11 years in his £90,000-a-year role.
He is friends with Aslef general secretary Mick Whelan and former Labor leader Jeremy Corbyn.
Cassidy is a driving instructor at Great Western Railway and a member of the Women’s Committee for District 7.
She is a Labor councilor in Liskeard, Cornwall, and recently split from mayor Simon Cassidy.
She was pictured with shadow deputy prime minister Angela Rayner and hopes to become a Labor MP.
Fisher’s expense claims show he spent £2,392 on a five-day trip for him and three others to attend a conference in Senegal, West Africa.
They stayed at the Palm Beach Resort and ran up a food and drink bill of £483.
Fisher raised the £1,497 bill at the Aslef District 6 Christmas party on December 12.
At a work meeting in September, he and a guest drank cocktails including five Espresso Martinis, three Mojitos and two Virgin Apple Mojitos, racking up a bill of £162.
In June he spent £2,152 on corporate hospitality tickets to The Oval Cricket with representatives of the railways.
In July he used a union credit card for an iPhone worth £1,098.10.
Fisher, who loves free rail travel, even forked out £200 for a taxi trip in London.
Although all expenses appear to be legitimately claimed and related to union business, members would likely be shocked by the amounts.
They might also assume that he wouldn’t be having an affair while working.
In September, Fisher and Cassidy attended an event in Edinburgh celebrating 100 female drivers.
Fisher’s claims show he stayed at the Hotel Indigo and spent £53.40 at the bar.
That day, Cassidy shared a photo of her with the group outside the Scottish Parliament to say she was “having an amazing time”.
Asked about the trip, Cassidy told The Sun she didn’t sleep with Fisher because they weren’t a thing at the time.
A few days later they attended the TUC congress in Liverpool.
Expenses records show Fisher spent around £350 on drink during the visit.
In December, union bosses held a gala party in Doncaster, which both men attended. That night Fisher spent £352.35 in the bar.
This week he booked a £140 room at the Holiday Inn in Birmingham city center — part of a £12,000 group booking for Aslef’s “weekend school” event.
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Kerry Cassidy pictured with Angela Rayner
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Cassidy confirmed her and Fisher’s relationship and said she can’t wait to ‘spend the rest of my life with him’
He, Cassidy and another couple drank at The Sly Old Fox and then dined at Santorini Greek Restaurant.
A source said: “Dicky and Kerry try to see each other when they can and make the most of the Aslef trips.”
A source said Nancy, his wife of 30 years who works for Network Rail, found out in September and confronted her husband.
The source added: “He admitted everything.
“She never saw it.
“Even after they rowed, he rushed to London to stay with Kerry in a hotel.”
Nancy, the mother of their adult son, confirmed the affair to The Sun.
A source close to Fisher said Dicky has apologized and wants to save their marriage.
But they added: “He expects her to forgive and forget, but in her mind it’s over.”
Cassidy confirmed her and Fisher’s relationship and said she was looking forward to “spending the rest of my life with him.”
She insisted that they only became an item in October.
She added: “I’ve known him for about 15 years and yes, we may have been together once before, which he admitted to his wife, but he also admitted about another 20 years of relationship.
“We’ve been to events together, but in separate hotel rooms, he doesn’t entertain me on a credit card.”
Cassidy said she and Fisher saved money by sharing a room in Birmingham.
She said she stayed at Aslefa’s apartment with Fisher as well as other union officials.
She said Fisher had a key to her house and even came to the family Christmas with her ex-husband.
Fisher declined to comment.
His expenses may include other union members and be covered by the Aslef expenses policy.
Membership is around £40 a month but depends on salary.
The strike is costing venues £4 billion
PERMANENT rail strikes are expected to cost the hospitality industry more than £4 billion in lost revenue.
Union members walked out for the first time in June 2022, and the strikes that followed involved 40,000 rail workers and affected most routes across the country.
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Dicky, left, with Aslef members demonstrating
Industrial action ahead of Christmas was predicted to cost the sector £800m, while business bosses said the latest round would cost £350m – taking the total cost since the first outings to £4bn.
Night Time Industries Association chief executive Michael Kill said: “Our industry is on the brink of collapse, with billions in lost revenue, increased taxes and devastating business closures.”
They claimed there was a 22 percent increase in hospitality companies filing for administration last year compared to 2022.
The NTIA said: “This figure highlights the true extent of industrial action on businesses within the hospitality sector.”
Nightcap’s Sarah Willingham, bar manager of Dirty Martini and The Cocktail Club, said: “I honestly can’t believe these train strikes are going on for this long, not only affecting the hospitality sector but good, hardworking businesses, small businesses and major streets.
“The government must intervene. It is time.”
Emma McClarkin, of the British Beer and Pub Association, said: “These strikes are a serious blow to pubs across the country.
“There is a financial cost to the country’s pubs, who are operating on tight margins and need all the audiences they can get.”
Derail the weekend
Rail passengers are facing more strikes this weekend as parts of the country will be without train services.
ASLEF union members at Avanti West Coast, East Midlands Railway and West Midlands Railway will walk away from a dispute over pay and conditions.
The strikes began earlier this week and will continue until Monday, while the overtime ban will last until Tuesday, also causing serious disruption.
Football fans will be among those affected on Saturday, with the hospitality industry warning that strikes are costing the sector tens of millions of pounds in lost revenue.
Football matches affected include Everton v Tottenham, Burnley v Fulham, Leyton Orient v Carlisle, West Brom v Birmingham City, Tranmere v Crewe and Salford v Wrexham.
WMR said their services will not operate on Saturday or Sunday.
There will also be no EMR or Avanti trains on Saturday.
The dispute over wages and conditions began in the summer of 2022 and shows no signs of being resolved anytime soon.
Categories: Optical Illusion
Source: HIS Education