TUNa is one of (if not the) largest anarchist network in Britain and it continues to grow. However we are aware that the vast majority of subscribers seem happy just to receive the newsletter every two months or so. The lack of active involvement from subscribers means that we are some way away from achieving one of our original aims of raising the profile of anarchism in the trade union movement and sharing information and news between activists. The fact though that TUNa is an informal network rather than a formal organisation probably means that this is inevitable. The ever growing number of subscribers though shows TUNa is meeting a need in the anarchist movement (it also reflects the growing interest in anarchism amongst workers). So how do we move forward and avoid being just a newsletter and web site? TUNa is currently exploring the possibility of working with other anarchist groups to see whether there is scope to do joint work on employment issues. Frankly we think we can do a lot more together than separately. What do subscribers think about this? The network will continue as now other than organising joint campaigns and activities.

Next thing is that we want more of you to get involved. This isn’t cos we’re lazy (well maybe it is a bit!) but we do think it important that participation is maximised. We need people to write and edit the newsletter, act as strike contacts, pamphlet writing, whatever…it’s up to you, but if you’re interested in getting involved in any way please let us know. Also although we have subscribers in most UK unions we get very little news about what is going on in individual unions. If you spot anything interesting going on let us know. Finally we will be having a meeting at this year’s anarchist book fair (but probably not a stand) so put the date in your diary (14 October) and have your say about where the network should go.

No doubt the SWP are claiming that the latest official figures on the number of strikes in Britain herald the return of working class militancy and that a general strike is but days away. Sadly though we’re not so sure. First the good news: compared to 1998 the number of strikes last year rose. The bad news is they rose from 166 to 205 and the actual number of days lost through industrial action fell to the lowest level ever - 242,000 (in 1979 nearly 30 million days were lost). Full marks then to car, bus and aircraft workers who lead the way on strike action. Country wide Scottish workers are the most militant with an average of 22 working days lost per 1,000 workers, followed by London. In the midlands just 1 day is lost per 1,000 workers.

Don’t, though, think that strikes are a thing of the past. This summer has seen unofficial action by postal workers and prison warders. Disputes in local authorities, car industry and hospitals. Even Oxford University Press staff, where MSF convenor Brendan George has been sacked, are balloting for strike action. Workers are using the threat of strike action as a means of putting pressure on bosses. Balloting to see whether members would be willing to go on strike is now a normal part of negotiations. Some 980 ballots were undertaken (with almost all resulting in a yes vote), but only 32% resulted in actual action. In most cases the mere threat of action was enough to get management to concede (makes you wonder what the unions could have achieved if they’d gone out rather than just threatening to).

For the first time ever white-collar staff are more likely to belong to trade unions than manual workers. Nearly a half of professional staff belong to trade unions. Total trade union membership grew by an impressive 100,000 in the last year with 7.3 million workers in total belonging to a union. Unison, though, managed to buck the trend – its membership fell by 28,000 (so much for super unions) and one union has disappeared. The tiny (42 members) Scottish Union of Power Loom Overlookers has now officially disbanded.

Good news if you are a skint trade union member, the TUC has just launched not one but two new credit cards both called Member’s First. Unions are being encouraged to sign their members up.…but what’s this in the small print? Ah, the small matter of interest payments. Now according to John Monks (a man who earns a few quid) the new cards "offer an excellent deal" and are "further proof of how much sense it makes to belong to a trade union" but if you don’t pay off your balance you’ll be charged a wopping 15.9% ! Sounds like an excellent deal for the Bank of Scotland who run the card and the TUC’s coffers to us.

One person who has no doubt already applied for the new credit cards is MSF general secretary Roger ‘Sticky Bun’ Lyons who recently lost two Employment Tribunals (rumoured to have cost the union close to a million pounds) following allegations of financial wrong doing. It has been claimed that Lyons, amongst other things, used his union credit card to buy a 25 pence bun, has used MSF’s chauffeur to ferry himself and his kids to watch Arsenal play (why on earth would a union general secretary need a bloody chauffeur we ask - or even more sinister watch Arsenal play) and has submitted somewhat large expense claims for hospitality. Anarchists have long argued that workers need to organise themselves and don’t need the likes of Lyons and his cronies to run their affairs. MSF rank and file have called for Lyons to resign. MSF are still in merger talks with the AEEU meaning that MSF members can look forward to replacing Lyons with Sir Ken ‘Partnership’ Jackson.

On the 1 July it became illegal to treat Britain’s six million part time workers any differently than full time workers doing the same job, (pretty radical stuff eh?) This means if you are part time you should get equal pay, terms and conditions including sick pay, maternity and paternity leave, pension entitlements, access to training and holiday. The law will only work though if you can find a full timer to compare your self with. If everyone doing the same job you are are also part time then it’s still okay to treat you like crap.

"The Labour Party came into existence to repeal anti union laws. The current state of labour law belongs to the century before last" says comedian Jeremy Hardy. Tony Blair has boasted that Labour’s employment laws are "the most restrictive on trade unions in the Western world". The United Campaign to Repeal the Anti-trade Union Laws was formed in 1998 and is, not surprisingly, campaigning to have all anti-union laws repealed. The organisation is a bit old Labour but anarchists should certainly oppose the state’s attempts to restrict the power and rights of trade unions. If you are interested the Campaign can be contacted at: PO Box 17556, London, EC2Y 8PA, email: johnhendyqc@gn.apc.org)

• A national demonstration in London is planned on 21 October to protest against the government’s anti union laws. Details awaited.

Any posties out there will be interested to know that Industrial Workers of the World (IWW) postal workers have produced a new leaflet called ‘A Five Day Week, Why Not?’ in response to the Way Forward deal. Copies available from their web site (which contains lots of other good stuff about the One Big Union): http://members.xoom.com.iwwuk/ or by post (with a donation if possible) from Ray, 42 Winifred Road, Poole, Dorset, BH15 3PU. The Way Forward package although nationally negotiated has caused considerable discontent in a number of CWU branches particularly over Saturday overtime working. Unofficial action took place in north London for five days involving some 2,500 postal workers during the summer in protest against the deal. National officers are now running around trying to dampen down local discontent.

Talking of postal workers full marks to CWU members who voted down a proposal to increase the union’s political levy to the Labour Party by 2 pence a week to raise an extra £200,000 for Tony Blair at their conference this year. The rank and file also voted to end all support for Labour if Blair privatises any part of the post office. The CWU, though, still remains one of a large number of Labour Party affiliated trade unions who are about to trump up £8 million to try to help get New Labour re-elected. TUNa calls for all activists in affiliated unions to campaign against affiliation and for the money to be spent instead on members. Andy Gilchrist the new general secretary of the fire fighter’s unions says "the government and Labour councils aren’t doing us any favours. I’d be lying if I didn’t admit that there was pressure to disaffiliate". The run up to the general election is an ideal time to raise affiliation and point out to members what a waste of their money it is. Labour has done the unions no favour at all and affiliation brings no benefits. In the health service for example the non affiliated Royal College of Nursing and British Medical Association has far more clout with the government than Unison. Anarchists can push for motions to be put to their union’s conference calling for disaffiliation as well as encouraging individual union members not to pay the affiliation fee. And don’t be fooled. Disaffiliation doesn’t mean that unions cannot have political funds or campaign. By the way the membership of trade unions has increased while Labour Party membership has fallen.

• September 3 Burston Strike School Rally, celebration of the longest strike in history (0208 843 9591)

• October 16-22 European Health and Safety at Work Week
• October 21 Anti Union Law Demo London
• November 28 No Shop Day! Contact: Enough! 0161 226 6668

Check out the Anarchist Federation’s News Diary on their web site for up to date information about what is going on: http:/burn.ucsd.edu/~acf/news/index.html or contact them at: 84b Whitechapel High Street, London, E1 7QX

• If you live in the South West and want to keep up to date with what’s going on in radical circles send some stamps to: Action South West, Box 31, Greenleaf Bookshop, Colston Street, Bristol, BS1 5BB and they will send you a copy of Action South West.

American radical journalist Mumia Abu Jamal remains on death row following his wrongful imprisonment. Mumia is a firm supporter of trade unions who has said that he would rather die than cross a picket line. American workers have been organising support for the campaign to free him. At the start of the year over 100 delegates from 32 American unions and Labour Councils gathered for the first ever labour conference for Mumia. The trade unionists present were pushing for a massive labour campaign of justice including a nationwide day of action. Support for Mumia amongst British unions seems much slower getting off the ground (let us know if anything has been happening in your union to support him). There are meetings of Mumia’s support campaign on the second and fourth Sundays of the month at Conway Hall in London (email: mumia@callnetuk.com).

If a US worker earning $25,000 in 1994 had got the same increases in pay as their boss they would be earning $138,350 today. Just thought you’d like to know!