Last week, GMB member Irene Everett won the first ever unfair dismissal case for a sex worker, against Essex-based Datapro Service Limited. She had worked on their live adult chat lines for eight years. The GMB, following its merger with the IUSW in 2002, has been trying to organise sex workers in the UK, and this was their first victory.

Also this month the government announced moves to legalise brothels of up to three prostitutes working together, whilst stopping short of full decriminalisation of the sex industry and even promising new crackdowns on street prostitutes. This underlines the difficulties for sex workers in organising and the ambivalent nature of state intervention, although it does point to new mainstream interest in the subject. Research by Sophie Day has shown the diversity of approaches to self-organisation or legal reform amongst prostitutes. Some view their work very much as a small business and wary of legislation - which although it might mean better work conditions may also mean more regulation, less autonomy and more difficulties in remaining self-employed, and some are involved in public campaigns for legal recognition and work rights. However, the sex industry should not be seen as limited to prostitution, as Irene Everett's case shows.

With this in mind, libcom.org spoke to Jack, a socialist who worked for a sex-texting company during 2005.

Which company did you work for? For how long?

The company I worked for went by the ever so pleasant and subtle name of 'box-69'. The company did 'sex texting' - basically people would text sexual messages in to you (which you recieved on a computer, in a chat room type interface), and you would respond - the messages going directly to their mobiles. Obviously, in all but exceptional circumstances, these messages were of an extreme sexual nature. The company got most of its clientelle from a daily advert in the Daily Sport, but traded under various different names - such as 'Local Girls 4 U'. I lacked staying power, and only stuck at it for about 3 months full time before it started giving me serious problems, and I had to give it up.

How and why did you choose the job?

I mainly chose it because I needed the money! I was pretty depressed and had been out of work for a few months, and got told about it by one of my friends. Obviously, at first it sounded hilarious - I got to sit at home, pretending to be a girl, and getting guys off, and for (what looked like) not too bad money. So I searched about for a few companies on the internet, sat a 'test' (basically responding in a 'sexy' manner to a few form questions), and got offered the job. Probably more down to my ability to type quickly and accurately than any ability to be particularly sexy! I provided a scan of a (female) friends passport to 'prove' I was over 18 - I thought I would have to pretend to be female, although in retrospect I very much doubt they cared. Once I'd sat the test I waited about a week for them to get back to me, and then I was in!

Full article on libcom.org