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That's as it should be!
Maximillian 2022-03-28 08:01:02
Made in Dagenham, produced by the BBC. In 1968, women workers at the Ford Motor Plant in England demanded equal pay for equal pay. There are no handsome men or beauties, no exciting plot, but quite good-looking. Each character has a distinct personality. Rita, who is ordinary and simple, but tough and brave, Eddie, who is a little silly but honest and kind, and Connie, who is in love with her veteran husband, is a star with all her heart... But she is always tempted by her dreams to stay with her companions. Sandra, a top student who graduated from Cambridge, was treated as a vase by her husband, Lisa, who was aggrieved, and of course, Barbara, the agile Iron Maiden Minister of Employment. The scene of the female workers working in the factory is realistic and full of fun, and the warning sound of "man haunts" makes people laugh. That's right, rights and justice are not easy to come by. It takes brave people to stand up and fight for them. This is the meaning of "Made in Dagenham".
Extended Reading
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[Rita gives an impromptu speech at the trade union conference]
Rita O'Grady: My best friend lost her husband recently. He was a gunner in the 50 Squadron in the RAF. Got shot down one time, on a raid to Essen. And even though he was badly injured, he managed to bail out. I asked him why he joined the RAF, and he said "Well, they've got the best women, haven't they?"
[audience laughs]
Rita O'Grady: And then he said "Well, you've got to do something, haven't you? You had to do something, that was a given. Cos it was a matter of principle. You had to stand up. You had to do what was right. Cos otherwise you wouldn't be able to look at yourself in the mirror." When did that change, eh? When did we, in this country, decide to stop fighting? I don't think we ever did. But you've got to back us up. You've got to stand up with us. *We* are the working classes - the men *and* the women. We're not separated by sex, but only by those who are willing to accept injustice and those like our friend George who are prepared to go into battle for what is right. And equal pay for women *is* right.
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[following her talk with Rita, Connie and the rest of the Dagenham women, Barbara Castle makes a statement to the waiting journalists]
Barbara Castle: I am delighted to announce that, following our talks this afternoon, the 187 Ford machinists *will* be going back to work on the 1st of July. They will receive an immediate pay rise of seven pence an hour which will put them at 92 percent of the male rate. However this is not all. As a result of our discussion, I can confirm that the Government is in full support of the creation of an Equal Pay Act, and by the autumn of this year I guarantee appropriate legislation to ensure that this act becomes law!