The commitment was secured by the Irish Congress of Trade Unions as part of the national partnership agreement finalised in Dublin this week.

At a meeting of the Irish Executive Council today, NUJ Irish Secretary Séamus Dooley confirmed that the new agreement, which will now be voted upon by unions throughout Ireland, contains a specific commitment to introduce amending legislation in 2009. The new law will exempt voice-over actors, freelance journalists and session musicians from the provisions of the Competition Act. Currently the Irish Competition Authority views freelance journalists as "business undertakings" and this interpretation has prevented the NUJ from collectively representing freelances or from publishing fees guides.

Séamus Dooley said: "After 10 years we now have formal recognition that freelance journalists are entitled to representation. The wider implications of the social partnership agreement have still to be examined but the NUJ is extremely pleased that we have been able to use the process to face down the Competition Authority. The social partners have accepted a clause which recognises that freelance journalists belong to a vulnerable category of workers. The campaign by the NUJ and SIPTU was vigorously supported by Congress and led by a committed band of activists who refused to lie down before the might of the Competition Authority."

Séamus Dooley is a member of the Executive Council of the ICTU and with Congress Vice President Patricia King was involved in negotiations at Government level to secure the legal changes.

The new agreement makes provision for a six per cent pay increase in two phases and also includes provision for a new law outlawing victimisation on the grounds of trade union membership, based on the European Court of Justice judgment in the Wilson case, which was taken by the NUJ in support of leading activist Dave Wilson.

The Irish Executive Council is to hold a special meeting in October to consider the full agreement. Cathaoirleach Damien Tiernan welcomed the proposed amendment to the Competition Act.

18 September 2008