The rights of freelancers working in Scotland’s creative sector are being “ridden roughshod by shoddy employers and poor employment practices”, according to the Scottish Trades Union Congress (STUC).
A report by the union, Freelance and Forgotten, documents “worker exploitation” across Scotland’s creative industries, including late or no payment, harassment at work, and a lack of contracts.
The report, which comes on the back of the Scottish Government’s ‘Fair Work’ drive to improve workers conditions, surveyed 805 members of eight STUC affiliated unions, including the Scottish Artists’ Union, the Musicians’ Union and the Scottish Society of Playwrights.
Commenting on the report’s findings, STUC general secretary Roz Foyer said it was abundantly clear that “however well-intentioned the Scottish Government are with their Fair Work agenda, it simply does not exist for workers within the creative sector”.
Freelancers, she continued, are being subjected to “bullying, sexual harassment and abuse within a sector built upon precarity and inequality”.
Late or no payment
Late payment for freelance work was the most common complaint from the survey’s respondents, with 69% having experienced this, including one freelancer who said it took a “prestigious university” 10 months to pay them.
Non-payment was reported by 33%, with the report stating this was “not an isolated incident but a regular occurrence” for many freelancers.
One respondent commented that in more than 10 years working as an artist they had “been significantly underpaid consistently and at times lied to about the budgets available”.
They added that after complaining to one commissioning organisation about discrimination and unfair treatment for freelancers, their contract was annulled, and all present and future work was halted.
Issues around pay, however, are just one aspect of the exploitation faced by freelancers. Bullying, harassment or sexual harassment was reported by 53% of survey respondents.
This included direct instances of sexual harassment, including unwanted sexual advances and being offered work in exchange for sexual favours.
Abuse of power within organisations was common, exacerbated by a lack of any meaningful reporting procedure for freelancers facing bullying and harassment.
Other common complaints included: unclear or unreasonable expectations when undertaking freelance work (59%); unfair or non-existent royalty/intellectual property allocations (57%); and lost work or pay due to illness or maternity/bereavement leave (46%).
‘Shocking and unsurprising’
A statement from the Scottish Artists’ Union (SAU) described the report’s findings as “both shocking and unsurprising”.
It continued: “We knew from our own SAU members’ surveys, and ongoing casework, that freelance artists in the visual arts and applied arts sectors have been experiencing significant exploitation and discrimination.”
Musicians’ Union regional organiser, Caroline Sewell, added that while the report was “somewhat shocking for many, sadly there won’t be many surprises for those working in the creative industries in Scotland who are acutely aware of the issues this report holds up to the light”.
The STUC is calling on the Scottish Government, Scotland’s five national performing companies, and Creative Scotland to agree minimum standards for creative workers on freelance contracts.
It also wants Creative Scotland to be given a “specific remit to support artists and workers, and to monitor and enforce fair working practices within the sector”.
Foyer added: “The Scottish Government must take seriously our findings and hear the voices of Scotland’s creative workers if we are to protect and enhance their livelihoods.
“With over 100,000 workers in the sector, the arts in Scotland could be the leading light in fair work.
“However, that simply cannot be done whilst the rights of creative workers continue to be ridden roughshod by shoddy employers and poor employment practices.”
Source: Creative freelancers facing ‘exploitation, bullying and harassment’ – Arts Professional
