An edition of the Tyne Tees Television current affairs programme ‘Briefing’ produced during the 1984-85 Miners Strike and begins with an in-studio discussion about a new secret ‘hit list’ of Northeast mines to closed produced by the National Coal Board and provided to Tyne Tees by the National Union of Mineworkers (NUM). In the second part of the programme a report and in studio discussion on the closure and loss of 1000 jobs at Coles Crane in Sunderland and the decision by the official...

An edition of the Tyne Tees Television current affairs programme ‘Briefing’ produced during the 1984-85 Miners Strike and begins with an in-studio discussion about a new secret ‘hit list’ of Northeast mines to closed produced by the National Coal Board and provided to Tyne Tees by the National Union of Mineworkers (NUM). In the second part of the programme a report and in studio discussion on the closure and loss of 1000 jobs at Coles Crane in Sunderland and the decision by the official receive to accept a bid from American multi-national Kiddie Grove to purchase the company over another bid made by Coles management. The question is asked how many jobs will be saved? Title: Tyne Tees Briefing Archive news footage of scuffles between police and miners during the 1984-85 Miners Strike followed by Arthur Scargill President of the NUM stating at a press conference that he believes the NUM is on the way to winning the dispute. Outside he is mobbed by miners. In the Tyne Tees Television studio in Newcastle, presenter Ian Breach introduces his edition of Briefing on ‘coal and Coles’. In the first part of the programme the stiffened of resolve in striking miners with a near unwavering support of Arthur Scargill in the Northeast by miners and their families. At the Durham Miners Gala in July 1983 Arthur Scargill makes a speech from the speaker’s platform reminding those listening of his comments from 1980 on a ‘hit list’ of National Coal Board pits to close which is now been ‘put into operation’. He warns both the Durham and Northeast miners about plans to close two-thirds of all the pits in the region and asks them ‘are they going to accept it down on their knees or are you going to stand and fight and oppose the closures and the butchery of your industry!’. Back in the Tyne Tees studio Ian Breach holds up a new ‘hit list’ of 11 of 15 Northeast pits to be close by the National Coal Board reducing the workforce by a quarter losing 5500 jobs. Ian leads a discussion into this list with Bill Smith from NUM Whittle Colliery, Huw Beynon from the University of Durham, Davie Guy from NUM Dawdon Colliery and Michael Fallon Conservative MP for Darlington Leading the programme into a commercial break, Ian Breach talks about the situation at Coles Cranes in Sunderland who have recently been purchased by American company Kiddie Grove following the collapse of parent company Acro. The Chief Executive of the company Martin Benchoff talks about the purchase but doesn’t comment on the number of people at Coles whose jobs will be saved. Title: End of Part One Part Two Ian Breach standing outside Coles Cranes in Sunderland where the unemployment statistics for the city are bad with 28,000 on the dole, more than a quarter of the towns workforce. Although jobs had been lost at other company surrounding Coles everything seemed secure with a full order book and good relations between management and unions. However, two weeks previous the gates were closed on a1000 jobs due to the company’s takeover. With Ian Breach providing details on the collapse of Coles Cranes and its subsequent purchase by Kiddie Grove, a montage of views of the Coles site plus newspaper headline relating to the attempted management buyout and purchase by the new company. Images of Sunderland MP’s Bob Clay and Gordon Bagier plus Washington MP Roland Boyes and Gateshead East MP Gordon Conlon who are sceptical and are against the takeover. Images of northern Conservative PM’s Piers Merchant and Michael Fallon Richard Holt and Geoffrey Rippon who are supporters of the deal. An except from a responsive given by Parliamentary Under Secretary of State Department of Trade and Industry Alex Fletcher from the Dispatch box inside the House of Commons to a private notice question asking why the receivers resisted the arguments for local ownership from Coles management, workers and local MPs. Outside Coles again Ian Breach speaks with four workers who still have doubts and are uncertain with regards this deal. They are also asked what will happen to Sunderland if the factory was to close. Ian then speak with Chairman of the group Norman Cunningham and his American Director George Russell asking will there be redundancies like with other American takeovers elsewhere? Back in the Tyne Tees studio Ian Breach leads a discussion on the takeover of Coles and the decision not to refer the deal to the monopolies commission with David Steel and Duncan Wordsworth both Joint Managing Director of Coles who were part of the planned management buyout as well as Investment Banker Michael Denny. Gordon Wainwright from Tyne and Wear County Council, Piers Merchant Conservative MP for Newcastle Central and Gordon Bagier Labour MP for Sunderland South are also brought into the discussion. Ian Breach brings the discussion to a close and provides details on next weeks edition which will look at the proposed buyout by Swan Hunters management of the state-owned company in an attempt to save jobs as well as a review into the yards on the Tyne and their future. Credit: Presenter Ian Breach Research Ian Krause, Harvey Wolfe Political Editor John Sleight Director Robert Cowley Producer Bob Farnworth End credit: Tyne Tees. © Tyne Tees Television Ltd. MCMLXXXIV