BBC的紀錄片：The Town Taking on China

一個叫Tony的紡織業商人在浙江開廠8年，由於中國人力成本上漲，工人越來越緊缺，他決定回英國西北的Kirkby開廠，試圖將紡織業帶回英國。他說：中國逐漸失去了人力成本優勢，再加上關稅、運輸與文化差異，這正是失業率高企的英國北部的機會。

Episode 1 of 2 :
Tony Caldeira owns two cushion factories: one in Kirkby, Merseyside, and one in China. However costs and wages have soared in China - so Tony is embarking on an ambitious experiment to bring jobs back to Britain.

The problem is that Kirkby is the fifth most deprived borough in the country, with a quarter of people claiming some kind of benefit and with unemployment standing at 70% higher than the national average.

Tony's first challenge is to find new staff who are willing to work in the physically demanding world of manufacturing. He must then train young people in the old skill of sewing, whilst also inspiring them to commit to the company despite the fact they are earning the minimum wage. To succeed, he will need all the help he can get from his trusted factory manager Malcolm, sewing floor supervisor Pam, and experienced machinist Joanne.

While they try to rebuild British manufacturing, the situation in China becomes even starker for Tony when he is held to ransom by a member of staff who wants a 50 percent pay rise.

Episode 1 :


Episode 2 of 2 :
Tony Caldeira's experiment to bring jobs back to Britain from China is hanging by a thread. At his cushion factory in Merseyside, orders are up but a third of his new staff have jumped ship. Time is starting to run out for Tony and his trusted team to prove that British manufacturing can compete with China. At the world's biggest cushion trade fair in Frankfurt, they must win enough orders to help secure the factory's future. Then they must recruit new staff and expand the sewing floor in order to meet demand. With the experiment reaching a critical phase, experienced machinists Joanne and Sharon fly out to the Chinese factory to see the competition face to face. It's a huge culture shock as they witness first hand how their fellow employees both work and live at the factory. The experiment concludes with a direct competition between the two workforces - before Tony makes his final decision about whether to move jobs back to Britain permanently.

Episode 2: