Freelancers
Employers in the Danish media market make extensive use of freelance staff not permanently employed at the individual workplace. The group of freelancers and self-employed professionals within journalism, photography, graphic work and communication is growing, and the Danish Union of Journalists therefore places great emphasis on ensuring that freelancers in the labour market have the same rights as their permanently employed colleagues.
This often leads to stubborn fights with employers and authorities who are of the opinion that freelancers should not enjoy the same rights as permanent employees with regard to parental leave, continuing education and contractual protection.
A case from 2007 is a good example of the Danish Union of Journalists’ fight to protect the rights of freelancers. In this case, the Danish Aller Press newspaper group dictated new terms regarding fees for resale to other media within the Aller Group that both the Danish Union of Journalists and the freelancers involved found unreasonable. The Danish Union of Journalists called a strike against Aller Press on behalf of the freelancers. The Aller Press group eventually accepted the union's demands, after the Danish Union of Journalists se won a case in the Danish Industrial Court on a matter of principle, whenh the Court decided that a union is entitled to call a strike on behalf of staff not permanently employed. The case attracted widespread international attention, as in many ways it settled a question of principle with regards to freelancers and their author rights and copyright.
Assistance to foreign journalists:
webmaster@journalistforbundet.dk