statement written by John Urquhart, general secretary Harmony Party UK

Articles such as the one recently run by the Socialist Worker clobbering OnlyFans and online sex workers, which directly or indirectly attack the incomes of those with precarious incomes are utterly unacceptable from so-called socialist organisations. (We won’t provide a link here – sorry. You can probably find it quickly enough.)

The Socialist Workers Party – for whom the Socialist Worker is a front – must issue an apology, as quickly as possible, and stand together with all workers… not just those it deems “morally acceptable”.

OnlyFans has flaws. (Although the fact that its members receive 80% of the product of their labour is not one of those flaws.)

But we will not solve those by attacking the organisation itself. How we will solve them, is, rather obviously, the way we always have gained better rights for workers: union action, and by supporting unions who work hard for their members in pursuit of those better rights.

It is crucial, then, in any effort to improve matters with regards OnlyFans, that we listen to those who actually understand the situation: the workers themselves.

It is also crucial that we remember that the sex work industry is dominated by women – yet has the worst workers rights. It is to the shame of the Left that we have not supported these women – and men & non-binary people – who, not by coincidence, are often not only doing what the words “sex workers” implies, but are also providers of emotional labour to the ruling class.

Harmony stands for self-determination – that is why we are a democracy. We each have a voice; we are each entitled to use it freely. So, too, our bodies. We all work with our bodies, one way or another, after all.

That’s why Harmony Party UK stands in solidarity with the Sex and Adult Content Workers Union (SACWU), and all sex workers, online or not: their bodies, their choice.