I'm an official at BECTU and I've already been in touch with some of you about this initiative - which by the way is brilliant.

Previous postings have included a whole number of comments about BECTU, both positive and negative. Rather than ploughing through to answer them one by one, I'd rather use this message to set out a positive role for BECTU - but if you still want a specific question answered please ask.

Firstly, on our representation of freelances: 40% of BECTU members are freelance. I head up a team of officials who work exclusively or overwhelmingly with and for freelances. I used to be a TV freelance myself. We negotiate constantly with employers - PACT, APA, BBC, ITV companies, independent production companies - on behalf of freelances.

The thing about freelances is that they are uniquely vulnerable, and my understanding is that this initiative has kicked off primarily because people want a way of sharing information on bad practice, and bad employers, which does lead to action but which doesn't lead to individuals being victimised as "troublemakers". We can help here. In fact we already do it, all the time. But in order to act we do need information which we can collectivise. Example: if one person complains about ABC Productions, but doesn't want their name mentioned, there's not much we can do. But if 20 people complain, all sorts of options open up.

I suggest we kick things off by using this website to exchange information which gives BECTU ammunition to act on rogue employers.

I am happy to receive information from any bona fide freelance in the industry, whether they're in BECTU or not.

Of course, if you want to go beyond that for advice on a contract (every job is based on a contract whether or not it's written down), or individual representation, or access to our legal service, you would have to be a BECTU member.

A couple of other things. One posting acknowledged our victory on freelance holiday pay in the European Court, but then implied that a union "as big as we are" should be doing things like that as a matter of course. Some misunderstanding here I think.

We are not a big union: we are a small specialist union with around 26,000 members. I'm proud of the fact that a little union like us took the UK Government to court in Europe and won. And I'm sad that other unions, with 30 or 40 times more members than us and with millions more in the bank, refused to support us. Especially when our victory gave new rights to their own freelance and casual members as well as ours.

Finally: we're good friends with the NUJ. We have a clear understanding with them about membership. Producer, Director, P/D, AP, and Researcher are BECTU grades. Journalists should join the NUJ.

For more on BECTU generally go to the website at www.bectu.org.uk. We are always looking at ways of enriching it, and specifically we are looking at ways of making it genuinely interactive. You can request a membership application pack online, or ring 0207 437 8506 and ask for the Membership Office. Sorry this has been so long.

Martin Spence