Here’s some excellent news for the freelance hacks out there — and also for salaried journalists too! Safrea, the association of freelance journalists, editors, designers and copywriters, signed an alliance agreement with the Uasa union on Friday.

Uasa is a well organised, non-politically aligned union with about 75 000 members and the deal entitles Safrea members (and I’m pleased to say I’m one)  to join the union at R64 a month, which will get them access to the union’s legal and labour-related services and discounts on products such as pensions, medical aid, insurance, car and home loans.

Clive Lotter, Safrea’s chairman, says the union has its own legal department led by an in-house advocate and a 24-hour legal hotline. The legal department will review standard freelance contracts and will be able to help freelance journalists in disputes to a certain extent.

From left, Safrea chairman Clive Lotter, UASA chief operating officer Leon Olivier and UASA CEO Koos Oosthuizen putting pen to paper on Friday in Johannesburg.

The key thing, says Lotter, is that the alliance will help freelancers to become more professional – and move out the “working on a handshake” territory – and also create the opportunity for freelance and salaried journalists to join forces. As this is an alliance between Uasa and Safrea – and not an amalgamation – it creates an avenue whereby fulltime hacks will be able to join the union through bodies such as ProJourn and Sanef.

“This is the first step in organising journalists into a force which can defend its own interests,” says Lotter.

Uasa, which is affiliated to the Fedusa federation, has access to Parliament and to Nedlac. This is the first time that Uasa has entered into such an alliance.

Grubstreet thinks this is a hugely positive move. There is more and more demand for freelancing – especially since media organisation cut staff in the recession but are still in need of content – but rates still seem to vary largey R1-R2 a word, which is not great. Many organisation are extremely tardy in paying for work done or indulge in the dirty tricks department such as holding onto copy (with no intention of using it) to keep it out of the hands of rivals.

Well done Clive and all the committee members at Safrea!

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