Rebel GK tenants seek

funds for beer-tie fight

by Tony Halstead

Rebel Greene King tenants are appealing for cash donations to keep alive their legal challenge to the company over 'two tier beer prices.

A new company set up by the licensees is down to its last £400 and plans to blitz up to 700 fellow tenants across the country to raise extra cash.

The group claims Greene King's cheaper prices charged to its managed houses breaks competition law and wants the Office of Fair Trading to investigate its complaint.

But charges in mounting the case have almost exhausted the funds and the legal challenge could now collapse unless fellow licensees stump up more money.

Campaign leader Meeko Oates from the Shoulder of Mutton, Wantage, Oxfordshire, said tenants would be asked to donate £10 each to the fighting fund. 'Lack of cash is our main problem at the moment, but as long as we are solvent, the fight goes on, he promised.

'We now have a database of 700 Greene King tenants in pubs across the country and we are sending out mail shots asking for donations. We hope to get more names of licensees in due course, he said.

The tenants have complained that prices charged to managed houses are far lower than tenanted price lists and means they are being undercut by more than 30p a pint in some areas.

Around £4,700 has so far been raised for the fund since it began taking donations one year ago. About 95 licensees have donated in total, and the biggest contribution has been £100.

Greene King has refused to discuss tenants' complaints through the media, but the company denies it is being anti-competitive because it does not enjoy 40% pub ownership in any one area the figure used by the OFT as a benchmark for dominant market share.