GMB backing 60 pub tenants against pubcos

Trade union the GMB is backing 60 hosts in legal cases against pub companies over "lease issues and Brulines fines".

GMB national officer Paul Maloney said the union had selected cases "that are going to set precedents."

According to Maloney, these cases are drawn from tenants from a range of pub companies across the country.

"There are currently 60 live legal cases, although there are 10-15 cases coming in per week that would warrant GMB assistance," he said.

"One is going to the Court of Appeal, and the cases range from lease issues to Brulines fines."

Earlier this year the union was on course to ballot members over strike action, which involved turning off beer flow monitoring systems Brulines, and stopping the purchase of beer from pubcos.

Maloney said: "We have stepped away from the ballot for a period of time as we look at using the media, political and legal arguments right now."

Back in March GMB general secretary Paul Kenny outlined the organisation's "four-pronged attack" strategy to "tame the pubcos".

It included political action by the Government, media and publicity for tenants, offering legal help and industrial action.

Maloney said: "We are quite clear within the GMB that we have no problems about balloting our members on industrial action. But I think there was a bit of hype from the media and the pubcos over whether such action was legal, which made people worry about it.

"We are not going to lead anyone into stormy waters.

"We are 100% convinced that we have a right to ballot these people as directed employees."