Bauer 'fabricated' union support, says NUJ freelance organiser
The union was not consulted by the magazine publisher as it has claimed, says NUJ
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Magazine publisher Bauer's new publishing agreement for freelance contributors was not endorsed by the National Union of Journalists (NUJ), the union has said.
The NUJ has rejected a claim made by Bauer in a letter to its contributors that it 'sought the advice of the NUJ'.
The latest contract asks for an assignment of all rights, a waiver of moral rights, and an 'unsustainable warranty clause' and a complete transfer of the company'
s liability as publisher to the freelance, according to the NUJ freelance office.
Bauer's claim that it consulted the NUJ is a complete fabrication, the NUJ's freelance organizer, John Toner, said in a statement released by the union.
"The very suggestion that Bauer somehow sought advice from the NUJ is laughable," Toner said.
"The fact is, I contacted Bauer in July to object to the terms of the publishing agreement. Although they amended two of the clauses, I left them in no doubt that we still object to much of the rest of the contract."
The union is still concerned about Bauer's contract, especially in relation to copyright and a waiver of 'moral rights' to material, the release said.
According to Toner, the contract was 'one of the most outrageous' he had ever seen.
"How they could interpret that as some sort of endorsement is beyond me," he said.
Toner has written to Bauer's managing director, David Goodchild, objecting to the reference to the NUJ in the company's letter.
"I have repeated my offer to meet the company to discuss the agreement. If Bauer really wants the NUJ's advice, I am more than happy to provide it," he said.
Further to Bauer's contract changes, which have caused much anxiety in the freelance photography community, Journalism.co.uk has learned from Editorial Photographers UK & Ireland (EPUK) that freelance rates at Bauer Peterborough may be reduced.
A source has informed EPUK that Bauer Peterborough is thinking about making cuts to all freelance rates for words and pictures.
While a final decision has not yet been made, the internal source told EPUK that management intend to proceed.
