infoThe Privatisation Tapes (1986)
Amber Films (Producer)
90 mins, video
Documentary
1. The Awareness Campaign (20 mins)
2. Value for Money? (16 mins)
3. Competitive Tender (16 mins)
4. The Darlington Tape (15 mins)
5. The Ingham Tape (15 mins)
6. The Public Good (8 mins)
As the Conservative government unrolled its programme of privatisation the tapes looked at the prospects for local authority and hospital workers whose jobs were under threat. Made by Amber’s Current Affairs Unit, it was part both of the group’s engagement with the unions and with North Tyneside.
During 1986, North Tyneside local authority unions organised a campaign of workplace meetings, to raise awareness about the threat posed by new government proposals, and consider what the members wanted to do in response. The Awareness Campaign documents how the Joint Trade Union Committee organised these meetings, and looks at the response from the membership. It also considers how Amber's videos were used in the workplace discussions by shop stewards.
Amber played a key role in producing two videos as triggers to discussion, much as the earlier coalfield tapes were used. Value For Money? considers what the term means to the services delivered by North Tyneside Borough Council, and who will be affected by the proposals. Competitive Tender looks at local services targeted by the government for direct competition from private contractors. Both were shot and produced locally, and stress the likely local consequences of privatisation to members in a way that a national video could not do.
Similar tapes were produced by Amber for campaigns in South Tyneside hospitals (The Ingham Tape) and Darlington local authority (The Darlington Tape). A final programme, The Public Good, looked at the prospect of North Tyneside local authority services being privatised or made subject to ‘value for money’ exercises from the user’s point of view.
AMBER FILMS
Made under the auspices of the ACTT Workshop Declaration with financial assistance from Northern Arts and Channel Four Television.
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