Get in touch if you do work for Reach plc

FREELANCE and casual rates at Reach plc were included in the agreement secured by the National Union of Journalists in September, following successful group-wide industrial action. The union now needs information from members who currently freelance for Reach to make the most of the deal.

The company agreed to increase casual rates covered by current house agreements by 3 per cent from September and to review freelance rates following a group-wide analysis. That work has just started. As with the rest of the deal, this falls short of what the union wanted, but this is the first time the company has agreed to group-wide consultation on freelance rates.

NUJ Freelance Organiser Andy Smith said: "The group chapel are hugely appreciative of the freelances who responded to the call not to take work on strike days. On the one day of strike action we were forced to take, this had a noticeable effect on the company's ability to pretend to be able to carry on as usual.

"The agreement from the company to discuss freelance rates without making a commitment to improve them is obviously less than we were looking for but the review, and the prospect of including freelance rates in all future negotiations, gives us an opportunity to secure real improvements. What we need going in to the review process is as much information as we can get about current rates being paid to freelances across the group."

Any member currently freelancing for Reach, please contact Andy at the NUJ Freelance Office.