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what are the rules??
The New Unionism Trading Scheme (NUTS) is a principles-based exchange system. The exchange coordinator, in consultation with members, may develop and extend the rules below over time, but for now we want to keep things as simple and open-ended as possible.

NUTS principles
All dealings are subject to the principles of honesty and fairness. This may sound fluffy, but they are terms which can and do allow decisions to be made. We do not have a bureaucracy for this - the exchange coordinator (nuts@newunionism.net) will make determinations wherever necessary. If there are complaints resulting from these decisions, they can be pursued by way of a members forum... however we haven't set this up yet, and hope we never have to. Following this, the final recourse will be to the new unionism ballot box.

does it cost anything to join??
Membership is by donation. However any donation you make will also be credited towards your account in NUT$, at the exchange rate suggested below. This means that your account will be opened with a positive balance. In considering your donation, please be aware that there is a lot of administrative work involved in running this scheme (nag nag nag).

NUT$ as gifts
NUT$ may be a nice way of saying thanks. You can give NUT$ to anybody who is a member of the new unionism network. Just send them an email authorising the gift, and ask them to forward it, with their own contact details, to nuts@newunionism.org.

how much should I charge??
Our advice would be to treat one NUT$ as about the equivalent of one $1US, or €0.75, or £0.5 (other exchange rates can be worked out here). This is just a suggestion to help you get started. The hourly rate (or value of sale goods) would then be the same as you would charge normally in that currency. As we are also planning to allow the buying and selling of NUT$ (between members), a "floating" value may emerge over time. However we would never make this public unless the members agrred to do so, and only after the exchange has become stable and well established.

is tax an issue??
NUTS income and expenditure should be treated pretty much the same way you would treat cash income and expenditure. The tax issue is very much a matter for you to sort out yourself. We can take no responsibility in this area: it all depends on what you do, in which country, who for, what else you do for a living... If you are worried about the issue, speak to your local tax department. (We'd love to hear how you get on - we've done this before and they have a lot of trouble with the question! Our advice is to take an account or lawyer along as well).

can organisations join?
Yes, subject to agreement by the exchange coordinator. You must nominate at least two people with email addresses to act as authorities. We will need a signed letter from the organisation to verify that it is their attention to join, and that they have read and understood the rules. The two nominated authorities will also have to join the new unionism network as individuals.

overdraft facilities?
We do not offer any kind of overdraft facilities at the moment. Being both an online and an international scheme, the issue of bad debtors becomes very awkward. We may consider allowing overdrafts in the future, but this will be done after discussion with members of the scheme.

what if there's a dispute ??
First things first. Make sure that you see samples of the work of the person you are dealing with BEFORE you agree to give them a job. Then make sure that the price is agreed, and that you both know what you will be getting/providing for that price. This is crucial because we cannot transfer credits from one account to another without the consent of both parties. If you have a disagreement about the quality of goods or services you receive, you will simply have to resolve it between yourselves. If you can't, then either party may lay a complaint. This will be considered subject to the rules above.

serious stuff
• Certain of the services we list are highly specialised, and you NEED to make sure that the person you are dealing with has relevant qualifications. This is especially true of the counselling and professional advice services. But advice on union organizing (for instance) can also be totally worthless if applied in the wrong legal/indistrial context. We would ask all members to have a CV prepared which can prove their competency in the services they have advertised, as well as (where appropriate) samples of their work. Please contact the network immediately if you have any reason to doubt the ability of a member to provide the services they have advertised.

• If complaints are received about rip-offs, irresponsible behaviour, intimidation, dishonesty, harassment, or any serious breach of NUTS rules, a person or organisation's membership may be suspended for an indefinite period.

• If a member agrees to pay for work which they cannot afford (ie they do not have a sufficient credit balance) they will be asked to settle the account with the other member by way of cash, or some other form of "real" money. If they refuse, their membership may be suspended indefinitely.

• If a member chooses to resign for any reason, the balance of their account will revert to the new solidarity fund.