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Made in Dagenham

Women's rights - Clip transcript

MONTY: (SIGHS) We're all men of the world. Let's cut to the chase shall we? We'll reconvene in two weeks time.

ALBERT: Monty!

MONTY: Listen! We'll reconvene and come back down here again for the day and then at that point you can guarantee to look into the girls' complaint.

ALBERT: The thing is Monty...

MONTY (INTERUPTING) That way you can go back to the bosses and say the strike is off because of the way you've handled today's negotiations, we can go back to the girls and say they're now your number one priority in a few weeks time.

MAN: Well that seems very fair.

ALBERT: Yeah well I'm not so sure the girls will be too happy.

MONTY: The girls will be fine! As long as they know they're not being fobbed off by the management. The union is setting the terms. That's what's important.

RITA O'GRADY: Oh bollocks!

MONTY: What?

RITA O'GRAY: I'm sorry Albert but it is. Three hours we've been sat here. “That's what matters to the girls.” How you're qualified to talk about that I do not know. Here, look at this (PULLS SAMPLES OF FABRIC FROM HER HANDBAG) There! Who put them together? Go on!

MAN: It's Ford property I believe.

RITA O'GRADY: Oh stop it. We have to take all these different pieces and work out how they go together coz there ain't no template is there? And we have to take them and sew them all free hand into the finished article. The same with the door trim and goodness knows what else. That is…that is not unskilled work, which is how you've re-graded us. Christ! You need to get an exam to get on our line.

MAN: Please Miss...

RITA O'GRADY: It's Mrs. O'Grady

MAN: Mrs. O'Grady, I understand your grievance…

RITA O'GRADY: (INTERUPTING) I really don't think you do! It's not difficult though. We're entitled to semi-skilled and the wages that goes with it.

MAN: Why don't you bring this to the meeting?

RITA O'GRADY: (INTERUPTING) Hang on, I haven't finished and as regards to this queue jumping business well we've put this complaint in months ago haven't we? It's just you've done nothing about it and we all know why, that's because women have never been on strike before isn't it? You just thought you could forget it and we'd all go away. Well I'm sorry but it isn't going to be that easy because we're not going anywhere. We're going to do what we said we would, no more overtime and an immediate 24-hour stoppage.

(MUSIC STARTS)

RITA O'GRADY: And where it goes from there it's up to you. If you'll excuse me I've really got to be going, thank you very much.

CONNIE: Thank you.

ALBERT: Good afternoon gentlemen. Thank you.

(THE THREE MEN AT THE TABLE LOOK AT ONE ANOTHER DISAPPOINTEDLY)