The MU is calling on employers and funding organisations to adopt the 'Fair Work for Freelancers' recommendations. Photo: Shutterstock.
‘Freelance and Forgotten’ – a new report by the STUC and Scottish creative industry unions, based on testimonies from over 800 creative workers – exposes widespread exploitation of freelance workers in the creative industries in Scotland. It reveals:
- 69% of respondents have experienced late payment for work – some waiting up to 15 months
- 33% have not been paid at all for freelance work they have delivered
- 46% have lost pay due to illness, maternity or bereavement
- 53% have witnessed or experienced bullying, harassment, or sexual harassment
- 83% have seen a real-terms fall in income in recent years.
As a result, only 6% of workers describe their conditions as “good.”
This isn't just about policy, it's about fairness
MU Scotland and Northern Ireland Regional Organiser Caroline Sewell said: “Whilst this report will read as shocking for many, there won’t be many surprises for those working in the creative industries in Scotland who are acutely aware of these issues which this report holds up to the light.
“It is clear from the findings of this report that freelance musicians and other creative workers are being routinely undervalued, underpaid, and mistreated in an industry that simply could not function without them. Enough is enough.
“Delivering Fair Work to Scotland by 2025 was a flagship policy from the Scottish Government. However, the ‘Fair Work First’ policy only provides for circumstances aligned with traditional employment, and falls short of protecting workers across the creative sector who are predominantly freelance and work in extremely challenging conditions.
“Work in the creative industries is precarious, poorly paid and rife with exploitation, bullying and harassment for far too many. This isn't just about policy, it's about fairness. Musicians in Scotland deserve binding contracts, fair pay, and quality of work and life.”
We’re calling on employers and funding organisations to adopt the report’s recommendations
The MU fully backs the recommendations made in the report, which include:
- Establishing minimum standards and conditions for all freelance contracts
- Giving Creative Scotland a mandate to monitor and enforce Fair Work practices
- Requiring employers and publicly funded bodies to adopt the Fair Work for Freelancers Checklist
- Recognising trade unions – not staff forums – as the legitimate voice of workers in the sector.
The unions and Scottish TUC group also stress that all public funding must be conditional on genuine adherence to Fair Work principles.
The MU is calling on employers and funding organisations to adopt the 'Fair Work for Freelancers' recommendations, and work with unions in the sector to co-create Fair Work agreements to combat the issues identified by the report.