Holiday victory at Al Jazeera

Freelances working for Al Jazeera have had their holiday pay restored after NUJ intervention. Freelances were written to by the company and told that as they are self-employed they are not entitled to paid holiday.

The NUJ's Freelance Office responded by spelling out the definition of "worker" and explained that the freelances, all of whom work shifts, meet the definition.

Al Jazeera resisted at first, but we have to assume they took legal advice, as they then presented the freelances with a written contract acknowledging they are "workers" and giving them 12.1 per cent uplift on their hourly rate.