Sort out licence mess and save great British pub from bitter fate
29th June 2009
Despite the recent promising development of industry mediation,
pubs are still closing at a frightening rate, says Unite, Britain’s
biggest union.
Licensees Unite and Justice for Licensees, who are working
closely together to protect Britain's pubs, have in the last four
weeks alone been contacted by no less than 117 tenants who are
either in the process of being evicted or facing imminent eviction
due to dire financial circumstances.
Senior officials from both groups are shortly to present the
evidence they have been collating on the problems being experienced
by their members at a meeting to discuss the crisis in the industry
with newly appointed minister, Kevin Brennan MP.
Jennie Formby, Unite national officer for the hospitality
industry, who attended the inaugural meeting of the Pub Industry
Mediation Group last week said: “Our members cannot afford to wait
long for a solution. We are fully committed to the mediation
process and to working with all stakeholders in the industry to
find a way forward.
“But our members are desperate. As our latest evidence shows,
for far too many it is already too late to save their pubs and
their livelihoods. We all must do everything within our power to
stop the decimation in the pub trade.”
Inez Ward from Justice for Licensees, who was herself a tenant
landlord forced out by rising brewery costs, said: “It is
heartbreaking to see so many licensees having their lives
destroyed, and I’m getting angrier every day as most of these
evictions could have been avoided. Yes people are starting to
listen, but we need urgent action if we are to save the industry
before it is irrevocably damaged.”
ENDS
For further information please contact Jennie Formby on 07702
206436 or Ashraf Choudhury in the Unite press office on 020 7420
7914 or 07980 224761.
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