I got @BeccaEHarrison's book on THE EMPIRE STRIKES BACK for Christmas. It is a really great critical analysis of EMPIRE, the material facts of its production, and the cultural factors contributing to its reception at the time.
I've heard this kind of story about 'unprofessional' British film workers on studio-produced making-ofs (recently in an ALIEN3 documentary) and in anecdotes from shocked US directors. But I've never seen it tied to labour rights and strong British trade unionism before.