British Productivity Council

Council minutes, Board of Management minutes, correspondence files, publications and reports, filmscripts and discussions; papers of regional productivity associations.

Formed in 1951 to continue the work of the earlier Anglo-American Productivity Council and increase British industrial efficiency. It was funded by government until 1973 when it reorganised and changed its name to the British Council of Productivity Associations (BPCA). Its main aim was to promote higher productivity through improved management and production techniques and from the beginning it engaged with trade unions, employers organisations and industrialists. It soon established Local Productivity Associations (LPAs) which worked regionally to help local businesses and industries through conferences and seminars. The central organisation produced publications and films for distribution on all aspects of time management, work measurement and methods, supervision and communications.The BPC was reorganised in 1970-1971 and it changed its name to the British Council of Productivity Associations (BPCA) in 1973 reflecting the move to more autonomous local associations. Training programmes and management courses, films and publications funded the BPC after 1973.

This collection is available to researchers by appointment at the Modern Records Centre, University of Warwick. See https://www2.warwick.ac.uk/services/library/mrc/using/

Link to full catalogue: https://mrc-catalogue.warwick.ac.uk/records/BPC

Minutes and papers of the BPC are also held in the TUC and CBI collections along with correspondence, film scripts and publications.