Birmingham Trade Union Resource Centre

This collection illustrates both the formal, organisational aspects of TURC and the operational details of the Centre. It also reflects the fact that TURC was part of a dynamic and complex network of social and political activists and conventional and more radical campaigning groups.
The records have been arranged to reflect the evolution of TURC from a single research and information service for trades unionists and campaigners, into a formal group of associated companies. These records also generally fall into discrete types of administrative and financial records, such as minutes, ledgers and correspondence files. A conventional archival arrangement has therefore been adopted to reflect the organisation and operations of TURC and its constituent parts over the period of its existence.
In addition to the constant struggle to obtain sufficient funding, TURC's requirements under company law and its trading activities with regard to publications, video and print production have resulted in the collection containing many financial records and correspondence about accounts and funding. Other practical considerations that loom large in the records include employee relations and building issues. As an employer as well as a trades union body, TURC worked within accepted procedures for dealing with employee issues. As the Centre's funding situation worsened, redundancy procedures joined standard renumeration deliberations between the Management Committee and staff representatives. With regard to building issues, correspondence relating to tenancy issues such as car parking and routine repairs and maintenance are later joined by lease negotiations, insurance claims and papers concerning court disputes over damage to TURC property and equipment by contractors. TURC's operational activities are recorded, for research and informational services, as well as the publishing, print and video activities.
These records describe the reality of operating a centre such as TURC, but they also cast light on the activities and concerns of TURC, at a time of profound economic, social and political change. Industrial relations disputes such as the 1984 Miners' Strike and political confrontations such as the imposition of the Community Charge (Poll Tax) were regarded by many as 'legitimate' areas for an orgnisation such as TURC to concern itself with, even if Central Government legislated to reduce the extent to which public funds could be used. However, TURC also addressed issues of discrimination in the workplace and in society (within the West Midlands and further afiield). The records of TURC should therefore be considered against a backdrop of concerns over discrimination on grounds of gender, race, disability and sexual orientation, disaffection and disturbance in many cities [as with the Handsworth disturbances of 1985], campaigns against nuclear weapons, anti-deportation campaigns and so forth The impact of the Prevention of Terrorism Act (PTA) was a major concern both of BTUC and TURC, as was the apartheid regime in South Africa. Whilst TURC's official activities may have been channelled into 'mainstream' trades union issues by legal and funding restrictions, concerns with such wider issues both informed the general outlook and tone of TURC, and also manifested themselves where opportunities permitted. TURC's 'production' elements [Publishing, Print and Video] with their [albeit limited] capacity to attract independent sources of funding were able to undertake 'campaigning' activities. They also reflect a concern within TURC to embrace opportunities offered by media contacts. Throughout this collection are references to services provided to mainstream organisations such as the BBC as well as 'progressive' operations such as Tariq Ali's Bandung Productions. Familiar labour movement fears of press bias sit alongside the commissioning of works to assist trades unionists in engaging with the media.
The arrangement adopted for this collection reflects the fact that TURC fitted into the formal structures and operating protocols of the established labour movement. However, TURC also developed and maintained informal links with the emerging campaigning and direct action movement, which is reflected in the contents of this Collection. This blend of the formal and the less formal should be considered by researchers, who will benefit from studying related collections. The official records of BCC, BTC and WMCC will provide particular insights into relations with, and issues affecting TURC. Birmingham Labour Group records, and the personal papers of Sir Richard Knowles and Paul Mackney [Leader of BCC and President of BTC respectively at crucial times for TURC] will further illuminate the political dimension in which TURC operated.
Various records relating to the same subject may be found across a range of record types, and researchers will often be rewarded by referring to all elements of the collection, even if the headings do not immediately indicate a relevance.
Glossary
ASLEF=Associated Society of Locomotive Engineers and Firemen
AWL=Alliance for Workers' Liberty
BCC = Birmingham City Council
BCMA = Birmingham Centre for Media Arts
BIF=Birmingham Independent Facilities
BLHG=Birmingham Labour History Group
BTC=Birmingham Trades Council
CARF=Campaign against Racism and Fascism
CPSA=Civil and Public Services Association
CRE=Commission for Racial Equality
CTUC=Commonwealth Trade Union Council
GMB=General, Municipal, Boilermakers and Allied Trades Union
JTS=Job Training Scheme
SAMS=South African Monitoring Service
SEAD=Scottish Education & Action for Development
SLAs=Service Level Agreements between funders and recipients
TUC=Trades Union Congress
TURC=Birmingham Trade Union Resource Centre Ltd
TURN=Trade Union Research Network
TURP= Trade Union Research Project
UCATT=Union of Construction, Allied Trades and Technicians
WMCC=West Midlands County Council

These records have been treated as a single entity as the articles of association of the various companies within the TURC group preserved the concept of a common purpose and the ability to function as a collective. Similarly, although the Youth Training Services Monitoring (Research) Project (later YETRU) initially operated at arms length, TURC were directly involved from the outset, later assuming complete responsibility.
This collection has therefore been arranged as follows:
MS 2009/A Birmingham Trade Union Resource Centre, later TURC Ltd.
MS 2009/B Youth Training Services Monitoring (Research) Project, later Youth Employment and Training Resource Unit (YETRU)
MS 2009/C TURC Publishing Ltd
MS 2009/D TURC Print Ltd
MS 2009/E TURC Video Ltd
MS 2009/E/1 Minutes (and related papers)
MS 2009/E/2 Financial Records
MS 2009/E/3 Subject and Correspondence files
MS 2009/E/4 Publications of TURC* [*vary as required]
MS 2009/E/5 Publications of bodies outside TURC /YETRU
MS 2009/E/6 Miscellaneous
This arrangement is in accordance with ISAD (G) as adopted by the U.K. Access to Archives (A2A) Guidelines for New & Revised Cataloguing.
Warwick Modern Record Centre's Scheme of Arrangement & Classification has been adopted (with modifications).
Naming conventions are in accordance with the [U.K.] National Council for Archives Rules for Personal, Place and Corporate Names (NCA 'Rules')

BCC Minutes [Local Studies Collection]

MS 1591 Papers of Paul Mackney

Partially closed (Content)

Birmingham Trade Union Resource Centre Ltd [TURC] was formed in 1982, as a research and information service for trades unionists and political campaigners. It was one of a number across the country, which developed partly in response to the needs of trades unions at a time of profound change, and partly as a consequence of new approaches to campaigning within the labour movement. TURC was formed by Birmingham Trades Union Council [BTUC]. The articles of association established TURC as a company limited by guarantee, without share capital. This separate legal identity was intended to protect BTUC from any liability arising from the Centre's activities. Funding was provided by West Midlands County Council [WMCC]. This model of Trades Council involvement but with local authority funding continued throughout TURC's existence. It set the tone for many of TURC's activities, as it focused on economic issues and also social injustices including discrimination. However, this model also provided much tension within TURC and between TURC and other elements of the labour movement. From the outset, the Trades Union Congress [TUC] was against the creation of resource centres in general and TURC in particular. TUC Circular No. 71 (1981/82) stated that no TUC body should establish a resource / research centre and should not participate in discussions leading to the creation of such centres. This was because of a concern that alternative trade union structures should not develop, without being fully accountable to trades union hierarchies and the TUC. After much deliberation, BTUC decided to pursue the creation of TURC. The availability of local authority funding initially gave BTUC the means to create and develop TURC. Ultimately however, a dependence on public funding led to the failure of TURC, as Central Government progressively restricted the types of activity that local authorities could support. In addition to legislation against 'campaigning on the rates', local political priorities also altered over time. With the abolition of the WMCC in 1986, Birmingham City Council [BCC] assumed responsibility for TURC. Despite attempts to attract funding from other local authorities, public bodies and trades unions, the City Council remained the major source of income. Continued legislation into the 1990s to control public support for voluntary organisations affected the levels of and conditions attached to BCC funds. This period also saw a qualitative change in BCC responses to economic development. Funding was now targeted at projects that could demonstrate a progression to employment or higher level training. A separate Council department was formed to promote and sustain economic regeneration, and whilst responsible for funding voluntary sector organisations, it also promoted structural change within Birmingham's economic base. This Economic Development Department [answerable to the Council's Economic Development Committee] acted to cut back TURC's funding to its [original] core functions of research and information services. The Publishing, Print and Video subsidiaries were closed, with the print and video operations being transferred to a newly formed Birmingham Centre for Media Arts [BCMA], funded jointly by BCC and West Midlands Arts and which merged the production facilities of TURC, Wide Angle Productions and WEAVE.Funding crises continued and intense lobbying of BCC occurred, by BTUC and individual trades unions. This quest to secure sufficient funding was a constant feature of TURC's existence until its closure in 1996. An unsuccessful attempt was made by TURC to claim charitable status in order to gain tax relief, but the Gilliver Charitable Trust was established in 1992. A 'Save TURC' campaign was also launched in 1992 and was administered from the Centre.A fundamental requirement was for suitable premises for TURC to operate from. The Centre commenced operations in 1982 at 73/5 Pershore Street, but soon moved to the Gough Street premises of the Union of Construction and Allied Trades [UCATT]. In 1983 the Centre relocated to the Victoria Works, 7 Frederick Street, a building that would become synomous with TURC. by 1990 however, funding difficulties and disputes with the landlords of Victoria Works led to a further move being considered. BTUC wished to centralise its various operations in one building, and BCC offered Digbeth Civic Hall for rent. This proposal generated tensions between TURC Management Committee and staff. The move to Digbeth did not occur, and in 1994 TURC leased part of the MSF premises at 70 Lionel Street. This was shortlived however, and later that year TURC moved to BTUC's Trade Union Club, Pershore Road, Selly Park, where TURC remained until final closure.A key feature of TURC was the close relationship that it had with a number of bodies, some formal, others less so. As fellow organisations supported by BTUC, TURC worked closely with Birmingham Centre for the Unemployed, the West Midlands Health Monitoring Unit and the Health and Safety Advisory Centre [HASAC]. TURC even shared accommodation with some of these organisations at different times, but retained a separate identity, under the BTUC umbrella. The South African Monitoring Service [SAMS] provided a good example of the close links that TURC had with formal institutions and campaigning groups. SAMS was based in the TURC premises at 7 Frederick St, and operated in conjunction with Birmingham Anti-Apartheid, BTUC and TURC. It aimed to generate & supply information on west midlands companies' links with Apartheid, to follow up and supplement the TURC booklet 'The Apartheid Connection'.TURC had a more direct relationship with the Youth Employment and Training Research Unit [YETRU] however. Established in 1984 by BTUC (with WMCC funding) as the Youth Training Scheme [YTS] Research (Monitoring) Project, it became YETRU in 198?. Through research, campaigning & advice work it aimed to highlight & address the effects of un/employment and training on the lives of young people (16 - 25). YETRU was particularly concerned with the prevalence and adverse effect of racial discrimination within the youth training schemes. YETRU workers were nominally employed by TURC, but reported to a separate management committee until 1989, at which time a joint TURC / YETRU Management Committee was formed. YETRU continued as a discrete unit until 1992, when TURC directly undertook an element of work around issues affecting young people until 1996. A less formal, but similarly close relationship developed between TURC and the Trade Union Research Network [TURN]. TURN was initiated by research workers at TURC to establish a network of individuals with skills and knowledge, who would be prepared to act as consultants on issues such as company accounts or trade union law. It was also seen as a means of encouraging individual and collaborative research that would be of direct use to the trade union movement. The relationship between the TURC Management Committee, TURC Publishing and TURN was close but not always calm. TURN had independent structures and decision making processes, and did not regard itself as an integral part of TURC. This did not sit comfortably with some BTC nominees to the TURC Management Committee, who wished TURC Publishing to undertake specific projects requested by the BTC.