GMB steps up pubco pressure with tenant meetings

The GMB trade union is to step up its pressure on the UK's pubcos next week when it hosts three meetings to discuss what it calls the overcharging of pubco tenants.

The meetings, being held in Leeds (September 14); Oxford (September 15) and Chatham, Kent (September 16) are open to any tenant who wishes to attend, although the union added said they were 'closed meetings', suggesting the get-togethers would not be open to the press.

Speaking about the meetings, which she will chair, Hayley Brennan, GMB lead organiser for pub tenants, said pubcos had promised tenants they will charge open market rents, but the GMB's evidence suggested they massively overcharged when compared to assessments carried out by the Valuation Office Agency.

"Current wet and dry rents take no account of the massive decline that has taken place in alcohol consumption in tied pubs since 2004.

"This has coincided with the private equity inspired financial engineering in tied pubs that has gone badly wrong, resulting in sky high rents for tied pubs giving rise to inflated prices which drive customers away," Brennan said.

The purpose of the meetings was to discuss how to take the campaign forward "to stop pubs that survived the Blitz and the 1930s slump from going under".

As well as discussing ways of getting the beer tie scrapped and securing fair rents, Brennan said she would update the meeting "on legal cases GMB is taking for its members on issues like Brulines fines and other matters".