In 1968, women sewing-machine operators at Ford Motor Company‘s Dagenham plant in the United Kingdom went on strike after the automaker refused to recognize their work as skilled labor and pay them the same as male employees.
Their auto upholstery strike was a landmark case in labor relations. Not only did it force Ford to temporarily halt manufacturing at the plant, it ultimately led to the Equal Pay Act of 1970 – one of the industrialized world’s first laws to end pay discrimination between the sexes.
Here, in their own words, some of the women who participated in the strike tell their story:
Watch the movie: In 2010, Sony Pictures and BBC Films partnered to release the award-winning film “Made in Dagenham” – a wonderfully produced dramatization of the women’s strike. Watch it for free here.
Next thing you know they’ll want to vote too!
I’m an editor of the independent journal . We’re about to publish an article on the Dagenham women’s strike and the recent film and are looking for illustrations. I was wondering if the image shown above (women with placards) is available for use by us.
I look forward to hearing from you.
Joanna Bornat
Could you tell me who holds the copyright for the image above. I would like to use it on the Women’s archive of Wales website.
Catrin edwards
There should be proper distribution of wages among all the employees. No partiality and all among them. Employees should know its convention collective nationale which is the agreement between the employee and the employer. There should be complete information on it and you can have that here.
http://www.legisocial.fr/conventions-collectives-nationales