Enterprise rebels join forces with GMB

Rebel Enterprise Inns licensees are to join forces with the GMB union to strengthen their hand in a bid to get a better deal from the pubco giant.

A mass protest meeting attended by almost 100 licensees in Sheffield last night gave the green light to the GMB to begin recruiting hosts as new union members.

The rebel hosts fear they stand little chance of winning their battle against Enterprise without the help of a powerful ally like the 610,000-member strong trade union.

Group leader Roger Davies, of the Yellow Lion in Aston, said joining the GMB was key to getting their voice heard.

"The GMB can provide us with a powerful voice and help us get our message across and I am certain they will prove a powerful ally," he said.

"I believe they can provide us with a massive platform and despite the fact that we are not employees, I am convinced they can do a big job for us," he said.

The meeting was the second mass gathering within two months by Enterprise hosts from South Yorkshire who are campaigning for cheaper beer prices and a better trading deal from the company.

The Enterprise licensees were joined by other hosts from the Midlands plus a number of Punch lessees who gathered to lend their support.

The meeting was arranged by GMB regional officers and also attended by members of the Fair Pint Group.

GMB regional secretary Tim Roach said the union was keen to help licensees take their fight with Enterprise to a new level.

"We have huge resources at our disposal to help you," he said.

All licensees attending the meeting were urged to write to their MPs so pressure could be put on the Government to refer issues such as the beer tie to the Competition Commission.

Fair Pint spokesman Steve Corbett described the turn-out for the meeting as "incredible" and underlined the strength of feeling licensees felt about the big pubcos.

"I believe the next few weeks will see significant developments," he said. "A lot of the trade bodies now appear to be warming to the idea of abolishing the tie."

The GMB is to stage a protest demonstration today in Sheffield as an Enterprise Inns tenant is taken to court over unpaid charges.

David Ball, licensee at the Fleur de Lys, in Totley, will appear at Sheffield County Court, faced with eviction over non-payment.