THE strike of the women machinists at Ford’s Dagenham car plant in 1968, which is the subject of a new film referred to in Steve Pratt’s article (Echo, Oct 2), is an example of a totally justified stoppage.

It led to the Equal Pay Act which, once passed into law, prescribed that it was to be phased in over seven years.

Even then, women workers have had to get their unions to campaign for its full implementation because they were subject to discrimination where employers, often with the connivance of male workers, raised obstructions.

It is too often denied, but there are other instances when strike action has been justified.

Even during the period when there were very disruptive wildcat strikes the research papers that informed the Donovan Report into British industrial relations showed that the workers concerned had tried to signal their dissatisfaction of working conditions, but were ignored.

It has always been my view that, like war, industrial action should be a last resort. Every effort should be made to resolve differences through negotiation. However, there should be the reserve entitlement to strike, and in the case of the Dagenham women this is vindicated by the welcome outcome and is recognised in the film, Made in Dagenham, that many people will see.

Geoffrey Bulmer, Billingham.