Monday 30 April 2012

Workies of the World Unite: May Day campaign


The NUJ Freelance Branch will highlight its Cashback for Interns campaign against unpaid work in the media during the May Day march in London tomorrow.

The May Day trade unions march starts from Clerkenwell Green at noon and ends at Trafalgar Square, for a rally at which NUJ general secretary Michelle Stanistreet will be among the speakers.

The London Freelance Branch says: "Young media workers entering the profession are increasingly expected to do more and more unpaid internships of ever-longer duration, with the prospect of later going into a real paid job diminishing.

"Some media enterprises seem to regard the serial exploitation of 'workies' as a business model, while outlets that used to pay now seem to work on the basis that online means unpaid."

The NUJ says it has already helped one former "workie" to victory - and a pay-out of the minimum wage due to her - at an Employment  Tribunal.

Following a motion passed at its April meeting, NUJ London Freelance Branch will be distributing flyers with information on the Cashback for Interns campaign during the May Day march.

Illustration: LFB

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