Made in Dagenham, written by William Ivory Nine out of 10

Made in Dagenham, written by William Ivory

Nine out of 10

This very good motion picture reveals an important chapter in the women’s fight for equal rights, coming after the suffragette movement and before the MeToo tidal wave that has swept Hollywood first and then other domains of public life.

It is based on the real story of women employees of the Ford Dagenham car plant, one of the largest employers in Britain at that time – and trying to take full advantage of the fact, by suggesting blackmail to the minister who seemed to support the cause of equal pay.

In a plant where tens of thousands of men work, the overwhelming majority, there are also a number of one hundred and eighty women, all assembling the car seats for the Ford vehicles, working in poor conditions, with rain coming in.

Apart from the leaking roof, the ladies have to undress, work in what looks like underwear, given the extreme heat, which makes for some amusing scenes as the union leader, Albert Passingham aka the excellent Bob Hoskins, comes in their midst, making the workers cover themselves, unless they all forget about it and he finds himself embarrassed.

Although the representative Passingham is loyal, kind, dedicated to helping his women colleagues, supportive even when others want his skin for his help, higher in the hierarchy, other trade union leaders are more interested in their positions, rewards and travel benefits than in pushing the cause e of the women.

The now established as one of the leading lights, best actresses in the world, Sally Hawkings, nominated for two Oscars, celebrated for her performance in this year’s best film, Shape of Water, portrays the protagonist of the film, Rita O’Grady.

This Wonder Woman proves to be a role model, strong, determined, brave, gritty, possessing a formidable Emotional Intelligence, kind, unselfish, hardworking, and resilient and a real Super Woman.

When a few women meet with their trade union leaders, they find that their claim for better working conditions and pay is not supported by these representatives, with the exception of Albert Passingham, except in name, feebly and on condition that they wait indeterminately, put their requests in the queue…

Rita O’Grady stands up to these men, states that they have already called their and the management’s attention to the adversity they have to cope with and they will take industrial action right now – strike!

The men are flabbergasted, overwhelmed by this position and so is Ford’s management, which would dispatch leaders from America to come to Britain and solve the situation, eventually Ford III would call the Prime Minister to emphasize their role in the economy and the fact that they would take their factories elsewhere if this blockage would continue.

By coincidence, Rita O’Grady encounters Lisa Hopkins aka Rosamund Pike, the wife of Peter Hopkins, the manager of the British plant, and the two would cooperate to exclude from the school of their children and abusive teacher, who was beating pupils.

Furthermore, Lisa Hopkins comes to the home of the union leader, tells her that her husband is actually on the opposite side in their work dispute, the heroine thinks she would then ask her to stop fighting, but on the contrary, the visitor urges her to continue with their noble cause.

For this has become in the meantime a bigger, more meaningful action than just a few women asking for Ford to put a proper roof over their heads and improve conditions, it is now an Equal Pay Cause and with that it is also about

The Position of Women in business, a society controlled by men, in which women are paid less than the other sex, for the same job.

No matter how worthy, virtuous, honorable, moral and meaningful the cause is, it finds a strong opposition on all fronts, not just management and eventually the Ford leadership, but the union itself, the government, even if led by Labor, appears to be against this move because it would impact industry and the economy.

As we have learned recently, there is still a huge gap between what women get in wages, contracts, at the highest echelons – actresses get less than the male artists, the difference seems to be of about twenty million dollars between the highest paid male and the highest paid female actors, but MeToo might put a stop to that.

Rita O’Grady is eventually given the chance to address the conference of the trade union leaders, in spite of the adverse stand taken by the local man, and she has a brilliant speech that tips the balance in her favor, the men vote to support equal pay for women.

Furthermore, Barbara Castle aka Miranda Richardson, the minister with the relevant portfolio, becomes interested in the cause of the women, decides to meet with them, in spite of the unfavorable opinion of her advisers and the PM himself.

The debut of the negotiations does not bode well for the result, for before encountering the union representatives, the minister is pressed hard by a Ford envoy, who makes it plain that the biggest car maker of the moment would abandon Britain, if she would stand with the demands.

When asked if this is blackmail, the Ford man says it is just concern for the tens of thousands of jobs that would be lost consequently, for industrial action has repeatedly interrupted their activity.

Finally, the women win their fight, even if in the first stage they only get ninety two per cent of the pay of men, but in a couple of years, parliament would vote the Equal Pay act and then the developed world would follow suit.