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Made in Dagenham

The audience - Clip transcript

(LAUGHTER)

(CONNIE AND A BOY LOOK AT EACH OTHER NERVOUSLY, CONNIE STANDS UP AND TAKES SOME ENVELOPES FROM HIM. SHE HANDS THEM OUT TO THE WOMEN AROUND HER. MUSIC STARTS WHEN CONNIE STANDS UP)

CONNIE: Here everyone, pass them out girls.

(AFTER READING THEIR LETTERS, TWO LADIES LOOK AT EACH OTHER LOOKING WORRIED, ONE STANDS UP AND WALKS OFF THE FACTORY FLOOR. WOMEN AROUND HER START SHOUTING, ENCOURAGING HER)

UNSEEN WOMAN: Go on Rita, you tell 'em girl.

WOMAN: Go on Rita, give 'em hell! (NOISE)

MONTY: Ignore it.

RITA O'GRADY: Ignore it?

MONTY: Standard issue day after a walkout.

RITA O'GRADY: Have you seen the language? 'Your flagrant and aggressive disregard for the existing complaints procedure.' Tone o' that!

MONTY: They don't mean it.

RITA O'GRADY: So why are they saying it?

MONTY: Coz that's how we've always done it, all the other strikes. It's like the rules.

RITA O'GRADY: No no no I'm sorry. Sorry we ain't playing that game. We ain't your men remember. (PEOPLE AROUND LAUGH) We're us and we certainly won't be addressed in this manner.

CONNIE: No.

RITA O'GRADY: All those in favour of not only maintaining but increasing our current industrial action by going to an immediate all out stoppage until we get the same rates of pay as the men.

MONTY: What?

(WOMEN AROUND RITA START TALKING AMONGST THEMSELVES)

WOMAN: Equal pay?

RITA O'GRADY: Well why not? Coz that's what this is really about innit? We're on the lowest rate in the whole of the bleeding factory despite the fact we got considerable skill and there's only one possible reason for that. It's coz we're women.

WOMEN TOGETHER: Yeah. Yes.

RITA O'GRADY: And in the workplace women get paid less than men no matter what skill they got, which is why from now on we gotta demand a level playing field and rates of pay that reflect the job you do not whether you got a dick or not.

(WOMEN LAUGH)

RITA O'GRADY: This strike it about one thing, and one thing only, fairness.

WOMEN TOGETHER: Yeah! Right. Yes.

RITA O'GRADY: Equal pay or nothing!

UNSEEN WOMAN: Yes. That's right.

RITA O'GRADY: All those in favour…

(ALL WOMEN RAISE THEIR HANDS AND SHOUT IN AGREEMENT)

RITA O'GRADY: Everybody! Out!

(MONTY LOOKS AT ALBERT)

ALBERT: Well it's got nothing to do with me. (SHRUGS. LAUGHS)