Pay us fairly, demand Guardian photographers
PHOTOGRAPHERS and their union supporters rallied for their creative rights outside the Guardian and Observer offices in London in September.
The protest was in response to Guardian News & Media’s announcement that they will no longer pay for re-use of pictures they had commissioned. Managing Editor Chris Elliott stated that the company’s standard terms for commissioned photography shall include “a non-exclusive, perpetual licence to re-use commissioned photography in its products and services without further payment”.
General Secretary Jeremy Dear told the rally: “I am here to express the solidarity of the whole union with this fight. If we are successful here it will help us to defend attacks on freelance conditions elsewhere in the industry.”
Steve Bell, the Guardian (and Journalist) cartoonist and a freelance representative on the paper’s NUJ chapel committee, told protestors: “Comment may be free, but content is not free. This move is theft of people’s work and their right to make a living from it. The capturing of an image that defines the moment is a vital skill — especially in this digital age.”
NUJ Freelance Organiser John Toner handed in a petition signed by 850 photojournalists. He said: “Press photographers are suffering severe hardship as a result of the economic downturn. Re-use is not free use.”
Tom Davies, who represents London on the NUJ national executive and is another member of the Guardian chapel committee, said afterwards: “Its important that photographers and non-photographers, staff and freelance understand what’s at stake. Wanting to use people’s work for free, and other arbitrary cuts being made, go against the ethos of the Guardian.”
GNM is also in talks with their contract photographers — who are also resisting moves to end payment for re-use.