Bringing freelance issues front and centre

NUJ president Natasha Hirst, a freelance photographer, joined the November meeting of London Freelance Branch to speak to members and answer questions about her role in the union.

Natasha Hirst

Natasha Hirst talks about NUJ work on freelance safety: "We are trying to monitor how police are interpreting the Public Order Act."

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"I don't know how many photographers we've ever had as president of the union, but I'm pretty sure it's not very many," she said. "And also as a freelance and as a disabled woman as well. It's just a great platform to connect up different things that go across the union try to put those points of view for it."

Observing that the wider trade union movement does not understand freelancing very well, she acknowledged that even the TUC confuses the gig economy with genuine freelancing. Her role would help the NUJ educate the TUC about the distinction, and how freelances lack significant rights that employees take for granted, such as holiday pay, sick pay and access to Universal Credit.

"The safety of journalists is another huge area and it's really important that we're including freelances within that work," she added, referring to how the NUJ liaises with the Met Police and the National Police Chiefs Council. "I have led on the work that we've done with the International Professional Security Association (IPSA) to help security officers understand the role of remit of journalists."

She also talked about the union's lobbying with regard to new government legislation and copyright law.

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