Up The Workers (1973)

In the middle of a heatwave, workers down tools because there is no factory heating.

The greatest influence on top management comes from a shop floor apprentice, Mick.

Managing Director Dicky Bligh (Henry McGee) is going fishing, Bernard Peck (Lance Percival) is to attend his mother’s wedding (her second, he hastens to add), Sid Stubbins (Norman Bird) is off to London for a conference of his union's national executive and Bert Hamflitt (Dudley Sutton) is showing his prize marrow at the local women’s institute. That is until a ‘bullet maker’ in the guise of Fred Brewer (Derek Newark) puts a spanner in the works. He gives shop steward Sid Stubbins, his bullets to fire in the form of endless union demands, which must be thrashed out over the weekend.

Bert Hamflitt, the part-time medical assistant, feels his position is threatened when the company engage a trained nurse.

That ancient British tradition, “the tea break’ is the cause of a certain amount of industrial unrest.

Automation with its attendant problems has arrived at ‘Crockers Components, in the shape of a large crate from Japan.

The bone of contention between the management and workers of Cockers, is the unacceptable noise level on the factory floor, which has led to a ban on overtime.

Cockers’ Managing Director, Dicky Bligh, (Henry McGee) with yet another problem on his hands. For the first time in the company’s history, no-one has any grievances. A photographer is sent to take pictures of the happiest firm in the group for the company magazine. But it seems that no-one, wants to be associated with ‘contented Cockers.’