Here’s my pitch for a film.

Made in Dagenham has been a commercial success. Let’s take the idea of a group of women who get industrially militant. We can have Frank Skinner as a lecherous Sid James type, only more charmless, sent to manage a women’s underwear factory in France. Isabelle Huppert, Emmanuelle Beart and Catherine Deneuve might be in it to lend a bit of class. It’s based on a true story.

The French edition of Elle carries a report that women working in the Lejaby factory near Lyon have occupied the company’s headquarters. The occupation began on September 16th when the women learned that the company wanted to axe 197 out of 653 jobs. The parent company Palmers wants to send the work to north Africa, eastern Europe and China. The workers reckon that if the jobs are sent overseas the older women may never find work again. It’s not that they are highly paid. Most of them are on the legal minimum of 1100 euros a month. As the women point out even though the production costs will be much lower the high class underwear will continue to be sold at the same premium prices. They takes the view that their lives are worth more than the company’s balance sheet.

The story illustrates a few differences between the French and British industrial situations. One is that a magazine like Elle ran a two page spread which was incredibly sympathetic to the factory occupation. It’s impossible to imagine an English language glossy magazine packed with adverts for expensive clothes doing the same. The other is that the women did it spontaneously because it seemed like the obvious course of action.

The occupation ended a few days ago in a partial victory. The job cuts plan as been referred back for further discussion.