GMB ramps up anti-pubco activity

The GMB will meet with pubs minister John Healey next week — as it begins to ramp up activity in the run up to its ballot on industrial action against pubcos.

The union, which said it has recruited 4,000 new licensee members since its roadshows began, also confirmed it plans a protest outside Brulines headquarters this month.

In the run-up to the General Election, the GMB plans to lobby candidates in marginal seats on pub policies.

In a meeting in Crawley last night, attended by 15 hosts, the union announced plans to lobby candidates from different parties in 100 marginal seats in the run-up to the General Election.

National officer Paul Maloney said: "We will ask each candidate what they are going to do about the pub trade."

According to Maloney, around 4,000 new licensee members have joined the union since it began its national roadshows on 10 February.

Maloney also revealed that the GMB plans a protest, where 100 fiddlers will gather to play outside beer flow monitoring firm Brulines headquarters in Stockton-on-Tees, in the coming month.

The union confirmed that it will meet pubs minister John Healey next week to discuss the situation with tied tenants and pubcos.

The GMB is proposing industrial action which would include tenants switching off Brulines equipment, followed by stopping buying beer from pubcos. It will ballot members later this month, and if agreed, industrial action could begin as soon as April.

One pubco (Pubco: GMB is threatening pub livelihoods​), which wished to remain anonymous, recently warned tenants against industrial action.

"It is extremely sad that this union is trying to persuade licensees to deliberately harm their own businesses and livelihoods in this way," it said.