This film is based on a true event in England in 1968. The women machinists of Ford Motors in East London find that their work is being classified as unskilled labour. They realize that what they do on their jobs, making seat coverings, requires great skill and they want recognition for this as well as equal pay with men.

The women have never been engaged in labour negotiations but quickly learn that their cause will not be served if they rely merely on the union representatives. Rita O'Grady (Sally Hawkins) soon becomes the spokeswoman and explains to the other women why a one-day strike is necessary. Initially Rita's husband, Eddie, (Daniel Mays) is supportive. But when the one day stoppage becomes a full-fledged strike, his attitude sours. He also is a worker at Ford, and when the plant runs out of seat coverings, the men are let go. So now he no longer has a wife to attend to his needs as well as no pay check.

The men in the plant are not generally supportive. They, for the most part, ignore the fact that the women have always supported them and they are not ashamed to voice their ill-formed prejudices. The women support each other, however, but have problems. Connie (Geraldine James) falters when confronted with the fragile mental state of her husband and his subsequent suicide. The company tries to undermine the protest instead of bargaining. One young woman interested in a modeling career is seduced with a photo shoot. She gets the last laugh though.

The men in the film, except for Albert (Bob Hoskins) the union shop steward, seem deter-mined to be unfair to women. They want to maintain the status quo. Those in the Labour Government advise the Cabinet Minister, Barbara Castle, (Miranda Richardson) of the dangers that could ensue if she lent her support to the women. The Ford plant manager leaves nothing to chance and seeks a personal meeting with the minister advising her that Ford could move out of Britain if she supported the women but she pays no heed. The women hold out and win their contract. This event led to the passage in Parliament, two years later, of a Bill to provide equal pay for equal work to women of Britain.

This DVD may be borrowed from Toronto Public Library.