Arquivo

The main characters in The Navigators are railroad workers that work in a railroad station in South Yorkshire, at a time when the process of privatization of the British railroads is in full spate. The future is indeed bleak for them. One day, Harpic, the boss, appears on the scene with the new set of guidelines for the job imposed by the new company owner. Holidays without pay and an end to some of the achievements in terms of labor benefits seem like a joke in very bad taste. Things are clear, however: either they must be prepared to accept the new conditions or they will have to submit to a market in a deep crisis. The film is based on the life of Rob Dawber who, for 18 years, worked for British Rail and, as union leader, took part in the negotiations during the process of privatization. “When the negotiations came to an end, there were only six of us, station staff, who did not accept the special indemnity. We were obliged to accept it, although the agreement with the union specified that all indemnity should be voluntary”, says Dawber.