The Privatisation Tapes (1986)
Amber Current Affairs Unit
The Privatisation Tapes (1986)
Amber Current Affairs Unit
As the Conservative government unrolled its programme of privatisation the tapes looked at the prospects for local authority and hospital workers.
- Film and Video
- Work & Unemployment
- UK Documentary
- Politics & Struggles
- 1980 – 1989
- UK
Amber Current Affairs Unit, 6 short films, 1986
As the Conservative government advanced its sweeping privatisation agenda in the 1980s, Amber’s Current Affairs Unit collaborated with the National Union of Public Employees (now UNISON) to explore its likely impact on public sector workers. Developed between 1983 and 1986, The Privatisation Tapes was a series of short, locally grounded video documentaries that aimed to inform and empower union members, particularly within local authority and hospital services. This collection of tapes was edited into a single VHS compilation, distributed in 1986 to support workplace campaigns across the North East.
The videos were designed as tools for discussion in union meetings and workplace gatherings, often using local examples and testimony to illustrate the implications of government policy. Value for Money? and Competitive Tender examined the practical meaning of the government’s language and its potential effects on local council services and jobs. The Awareness Campaign documents how North Tyneside’s Joint Trade Union Committee used these materials to engage members and build a collective response.
Other tapes were tailored to specific areas. The Darlington Tape and The Ingham Tape supported campaigns in Darlington and South Tyneside hospitals respectively, while The Public Good offered a user-focused view of local authority service changes. Together, The Privatisation Tapes stands as an example of Amber’s activist filmmaking, rooted in community voices and focused on generating dialogue and action in defence of public services.
Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives (CC BY-NC-ND)
View license details
© Amber Films / Amber Current Affairs Unit
Watch the films
Related Works
News From Durham (1983)
Amber Current Affairs Unit
Film and Video
A discussion 'trigger tape' exploring coalfield campaign concerns in the build-up to the Miners' Strike of 1984.
Can't Beat It Alone (1985)
Amber Current Affairs Unit
Film and Video
An exploration of social and political strategies for the Left, which grew out of engagement between Amber and coalfield community, anti-nuclear, and peace movement groups in the mid 1980s.