Member

The appointment should be set up with appropriate powers and cross-departmental oversight to advocate in the interests of freelancers. As BECTU says, such a role would work with unions, industry and other stakeholders to champion the needs of the freelance workforce and develop a strategy to co-ordinate government activity on self-employed rights and entitlements across government. The role should have a deep connection with the DCMS—a department which, for this and many other reasons, should be strengthened, not slimmed down—but at the same time it should reach across to other departments. A dedicated commissioner would help to ensure that upcoming employment reforms are fit not only for more traditional forms of employment but for the self-employed and freelance workforce, who are critical to our economy and the interdependent ecosystem of the creative industries. A one-stop shop for freelancers should also be established to obtain information on government policies that affect them, including employment rights.