STUC warns more than 50% of freelancers ‘exploited’ in arts sector
More than 50% of arts workers have experienced or witnessed bullying, sexual harassment, or abuse, according to research by a trade union body.
Freelance And Forgotten: A Report On Worker Exploitation In Scotland’s Creative Industries was launched by the Scottish Trades Union Congress (STUC) on Tuesday.
The report said 53% of arts workers have experienced or seen bullying, harassment, or sexual harassment, with 32% having had to sign a non-disclosure agreement forbidding them to talk about their work.
It found 69% of workers have experienced late payment, and 33% have endured not being paid at all for freelance work.
The STUC, alongside creative arts unions across Scotland, is calling on the Scottish Government to embed fair work principles for Scotland’s freelance and creative workers.
The sector is worth more than £5 billion to the Scottish economy and supports 100,000 workers.
The report comes as the Scottish Government’s Culture Fair Work Taskforce is due to publish recommendations on embedding fair work within the culture sector.
Union’s described the STUC findings as “shocking but unsurprising”, and said freelancers are “routinely undervalued, underpaid, and mistreated”.
STUC general secretary Roz Foyer said: “It’s abundantly clear that however well-intentioned the Scottish Government are with their fair work agenda, it simply does not exist for workers within the creative sector.
“Fair work means fair work. It doesn’t mean, as our report found, hundreds of workers being subject to bullying, sexual harassment and abuse within a sector built upon precarity and inequality.
“The Scottish Government must take seriously our findings and hear the voices of Scotland’s creative workers if we are to protect and enhance their livelihoods.
“With over 100,000 workers in the sector, the arts in Scotland could be the leading light in fair work.
“However, that simply cannot be done whilst the rights of creative workers continue to be ridden roughshod by shoddy employers and poor employment practices.
“This must change and the Scottish Government and all sector partners must work together to make fair work a reality.”
“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.”
A spokesperson for the Scottish Artists Union said: “The findings from the STUC Freelance And Forgotten survey and report are both shocking and unsurprising.
“We knew from our own surveys and ongoing casework that freelance artists have been experiencing significant exploitation and discrimination.
“Everyone deserves to feel safe and welcome at work. Everyone should be standing up against bullying, harassment, sexual harassment and discrimination in our workplaces.
“It is vitally important that freelance workers are given the same protections as employed workers.”
The survey of creative industries workers, to which 805 people responded, took place between March 23 and April 22 this year.
A Scottish Government spokesperson said: “The creative workforce make a vital contribution to our society and the Scottish economy. Ministers welcome this report and the insights it provides in support of our fair work policy aims to improve the working lives of people in Scotland and boost economic growth.
“While issues highlighted in the STUC report related to employment law are reserved to the UK Government, recommendations to ensure fair and inclusive work practices within the Scottish culture sector are currently being drawn up by industry representatives on the independent Culture Fair Work Task Force, including trade union representatives.
“The ongoing independent review of Creative Scotland will also consider how it can best support the needs of the sector.”