Government examines plight of freelancers

The National Union of Journalists (NUJ) is calling for freelance UK journalists to contribute to a new parliamentary inquiry investigating the key issues of freelance employment.

The report will be carried out by The All Party Parliamentary Small Business Group (APPSBG), which represents the interests of small businesses to government. This will be the first study into freelance employment by a political group and is expected to become a key reference source for British MPs and Peers.

Freelancers and industry groups are invited to contribute to the detailed consultation, which takes place over three weeks. Submissions can be made at the public hearing on 11 June but, for the first time, comments can also be posted online at the APPSBG website.

NUJ freelance organiser John Toner told dotJournalism: "I've talked to the APPSBG and it is very keen to receive a barrage of views from freelance journalists on a variety of issues.

"I would urge every freelance journalist with an interest in this - and I'm sure they all have - to make a contribution."

During the first week of consultation, which was due to end on 24 May, the group asked for comments on the role of freelancers. The deadline for this has now been extended to 8 June and freelance journalists can register at the APPSBG website to make a contribution.

Comments on the opportunities facing freelancers, such as overseas work and collaboration with small businesses, can be submitted until 30 May.

The final stage will invite comments on the difficulties of freelance work including regulation and tax issues. This begins on 2 June.

Elizabeth Varley works as a freelance journalist and is also director of Online Content UK, a national organisation for new media editorial professionals. She enjoys the typical variety and flexibility of freelance work but is keen to use the consultation period to comment on the difficulties of freelancing.

"Through tax and paperwork burdens, the government does not do all it can to support freelancers as small businesses," she told dotJournalism.

"Media industries in particular are not great at paying freelancers on time. As a freelancer, cash flow is often a tricky issue and the government should be doing more to enforce mandatory payment terms for commercial invoices."

Ms Varley feels that the consultation topics will help decision-makers to understand the issues faced by freelancers. "By encouraging 'war stories' to be submitted directly from freelancers, the APPSBG has the opportunity to glean useful information on the nature of freelancing in the UK today.

"However, their method of requesting public and industry participation appears to lack a structure that is vital to really making useful sense of those experiences. The government needs to realise that they can't just lump freelancers together to respond to their needs."

Ms Varley welcomed the opportunity to make a contribution online, particularly as attendance at a public hearing might not be possible for some, but was critical about the lack of publicity about it.

"The existence of this consultation and enquiry process was not well publicised enough - there are dozens of particularly industry-based areas the APPSBG could have targeted to get the word out."

The technical infrastructure for the online network has been provided by Shout99, a national UK network of mostly IT freelancers.

See also:
http://www.smallbusinessgroup.org.uk/index.pl?section=6&n=350
http://www.journalistsforum.com/
http://www.shout99.com/contractors/showarticle.pl?id=16490&n=10
http://www.onlinecontentuk.org

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