06 Informed Survey


Freelances struggle for work and aid a year on


It was freelances who saw their work disappear almost from the outset of the pandemic. Work and contracts were cancelled with immediate effect, with many members geting less than a day’s notice from companies they had worked for over several years. Tey had to wait an agonising week to find out what the UK government support would be. It was even more devastating for those who joined the 2.9 million people identified by the National Audit Office who found they were not eligible for the government financial aid schemes. A year on, over half said they disagreed that the UK Self- Employed Income Support Scheme (SEISS) had covered their losses, with one in 10 having applied for a mortgage payment holiday. A similar number applied for a coronavirus bounce back loan, which helps small and medium sized businesses up to 25 per cent of their turnover with a maximum loan of £50,000, likely reflecting the fear of being able to pay it back. As ever when times are financially difficult, freelances budgets get cut, leaving many


Union finances Carrying most of the union’s business and commitee sessions online has created significant savings for the NUJ, the NEC heard. Membership was holding up, particularly in workplaces facing restructures and cost- savings, and making Te Journalist magazine digital- only helped offset drops in income such as rent from tenants in Headland House.


members without shiſts and work a year on. Freelance travel writers, arts and theatre critics and sports reporters and photographers are still waiting for the industries they cover to recover. As the Chancellor was due to announce the next round of payments for freelances


terms of our members’ work. It’s been truly distressing that the self-employed seem to have been an aſterthought throughout this pandemic in terms of UK government support and it has been the trade unions pushing on providing help. We now have the cruel situation that the UK government has delayed details of the fourth SEISS grant until the March 3 budget. Te UK government must use this time to finalise the mechanisms to support those excluded and provide further support for the self-employed beyond the end of April. We are also calling on the government to equalise rights with employees and provide full access to benefits and social securities. Te economy and industry vastly relies on freelances but without


help from government and companies, in his March budget, 68 per cent


strongly agreed they needed further support. Almost half did not see their income improving until mid-2021. Even more alarming – and personally devastating for the individuals concerned – nearly a quarter of those surveyed did not expect to make a living as they did before the pandemic. Pamela Morton, national freelance organiser, said: “Te survey clearly shows things are not much beter than last year and that, although we have seen recovery in some sectors, many remain affected in


John Barsby, honorary general treasury, pointed out that redundancies including job losses of around 2,000 posts at the BBC were in train and the current drops in expenditure were one off, as a result of the constraints of the pandemic. Te meeting signed off the union’s accounts and agreed to put forward a motion to DM for a revised increase in subscriptions, noting there


in how they treat freelances, our freelance journalists will not be able to keep working in the industry they love.” Te Scotish government announced


a further £17.5m of emergency coronavirus funding to support creative freelancers and the events sector and in Wales an additional allocation of £8.9m from the Cultural Recovery Fund for freelancers was made available. Te plight of freelances highlighted by


Covid-19 has led to the union launching its Fair Deal for Freelances campaign and Freelance Charter.


has not been a subscription rise for seven years, while all other operational costs were growing.


Parliamentary work Grahame Morris, chair of the NUJ’s Parliamentary Group, gave the NEC a full account of the interventions made on behalf of the union in the Houses of Parliament, and representations made to the UK government on


the union’s campaigns and concerns – including promoting the News Recovery Plan, condemning cuts at the BBC, calling for support for the Forgoten Freelances and transparency over the blocking of FOI requests, supporting media freedom initiatives, stepping up the protection of sources, tackling Covid-19 infringements, and batling to save the Union Learning Fund.


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