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Tuesday, January 27, 2009

Does Direct Action Against Pubcos Get the Red or the Green Light?

It is essential to acknowledge, admire and respect the 200 or so licensees who had the courage to leave work for a day and join together with a load of people they'd never even met before outside an anonymous corporate brick cabin off a bypass which for most of us was hundreds of miles from home and business, just to tell OTHER people that we are having a very raw deal and NEED change NOW! We're all suffering the same way.

Inez Ward is a star and deserves a knighthood. We cannot tolerate the abuse we experience at the hands of our freeholders any longer. For all these people it took great effort and huge resolve. Together we showed all pubcos that we will no longer be divided for their convenience and we are capable of expressing and demanding that we expect FAIRNESS IN BUSINESS in return for our hard work and dedication to our businesses they are not supporting in any tangible way...

The day was a great experience because of the people taking part. The way we behaved as a large group was impeccable. Good humoured, focused, considerate, cooperative and mature. We were bloody brilliant. Thanks to all for the privilege of being there with you!

Now we must take stock of the moment. How significant IS it that we came together?

WHY WERE WE THERE? - WE CAN'T AFFORD THE BEER!

How do you feel about the protests at Enterprise and Punch HQ's on Monday 16 January? Did we achieve enough? Should we do it again?

Would you, as a participant do it again? And would you as someone who couldn't make it on Monday do it next time?

It would be very useful to know, if you wanted to come but didn't, WHY couldn't you?

Was it:
1) staffing - you could not come because you could not cover the two shifts
2) childcare - couldn't get coverage for the children
3) you couldn't afford it
5) you would have had to shut your business for the day
6) you have no beef with your landlord
7) you think your freeholder might take action against you on arrears if they know you're a revolting person. You are intimidated by your landlord generally and it would not be a good move if they found out you were on a demonstration about the tie.
9) you're too exhausted to fight
10) if you have other reasons for wanting to protest but not being able to please tell us... in the space provided.
11) I’m alright Jack I think you’re a bunch of whining losers who don’t know how to run a business and can’t accept that it’s your own fault that you’re in deep doo doonancial trouble

Was it worth licensees of at least five of the big six pubcos, from a huge geographical spread of Britain, getting together to air their deeply held concerns about their businesses fragility (concerns which all pubcos insist they will discuss only face to face with lessees and never in an open arena; all lessees are individual and their concerns are unique to them) and how their businesses are suffering - just the way they know all other local lessees businesses are suffering. And they know the source of this suffering. It is the result of TERRIBLE financial and estate management at the hands of the Freeholders - each individual's own pubco.

These concerns are NOT unique to each individual lessee THEY ARE UNIVERSAL. This is precisely why, when there is any hint of lessees' dissatisfaction or dissent getting out into the public arena, all pubcos seamlessly state publicly that they have robust lines of communication with all their lessees, that it is not possible to discuss lessee issues in the round because lessees are unique, no two situations are the same and meeting in groups to discuss what are 'individual issues' would be unproductive (There's Nothing Going On But The Rent).

It’s very late. Must go to bed.

Please PM me if you have specific things you want to get across.

Please contact info@fairpint.org.uk in complete confidence. Your thoughts will help steer the joint campaign.

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