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For several years, UNI MEI, together with sister federations FIA, FIM and EFJ, has been working intensively around the theme of labour market change and the shift to increasingly freelance, short-term, self-employed and other “atypical” forms of work in the media and entertainment industries, and the challenges it creates for union work and representation. Within the framework of a new joint project (entitled Reaching the Full Potential of Social Dialogue for All Workers), the four federations decided to hold the 1st European Forum on organising freelancers in media and entertainment industries. The Forum took place on 30 and 31st of October in Rotterdam in the form of a training and practice exchange forum for union leaders from the four federations, show-casing effective approaches to union organising, with a particular focus on adapting them to “atypical” workers.

The Forum was attended by over 60 participants from 17 different European countries and showed the wide interest amongst unions from the four federations on how to further develop their capacities to organise freelancers and self-employed workers. Successful examples presented by UNI MEI members included good practices developed by BECTU from the UK and Ver.di from Germany. The forum also presented successful organising approaches outside the media and entertainment sector and outside the trade union movement. 

Following the Forum, and within the duration of the project, a selected number of unions will have the possibility to work directly with a professional union organising trainer in order to plan and undertake a targeted recruitment and organising drive in their home country.