Affiliate programme

http://www.pcg.org.uk/resources/PCGAffiliates.html

With effect from Monday 7 July, the current Associate membership category is being replaced by a wholly new and enhanced Affiliates programme. This programme is intended for businesses that are able to offer services or products of potential interest to freelancers, possibly on preferential terms. Current Affiliates include, accountants, training organisations, software providers and marketing agencies and a host of companies with small business offerings. Affiliate members will have access to a dedicated logo which will enable them to associate themselves more professionally with the PCG and its members.

We have restructured the Affiliate area of the web site, making it easier to navigate and containing more information for members and also visitors to the site, details for each Affiliate member will be added over the next month.

Restructuring the member services section.

http://www.pcg.org.uk/resources/MembersIndex.html

We have also taken the opportunity to restructure the area of the web site that is dedicated to presenting the range of member services. This structure will be easier for members and visitors to navigate and explore, providing us also with a framework that we can build on over time.

You will also see that we are introducing three new suppliers who are able to offer a high quality of service:

Hiscox - Home insurance tailored to the freelance market.
http://www.pcg.org.uk/members/resources/Hiscox.html

SJD Accountancy - With expertise in acting for freelancers who operate through their own limited companies. http://www.pcg.org.uk/members/resources/SJD.htm

The Giant Group - Specialising in developing composite, umbrella and International services for freelancers. http://www.pcg.org.uk/members/resources/Giant.html

International Labour Organisation

The following is a report from David Ramsden, PCG's Political Adviser, on his mission to the ILO Convention in Geneva:

"Members will know that I went to Geneva, recently as a Government Accredited observer to the ILO convention. My role was to represent the interests of Independent Contractors (Freelancers).

The ILO is a tripartite organisation consisting of Governments; Employers and, Workers. In the case of the UK the employers are represented by the CBI and the workers by the TUC.

Freelancers have no voice, yet the ILO decide matters affecting their future. The importance for PCG in my being present was that this year there was a motion that a class of freelancer, referred by the ILO as "Dependent Contractors" should be given the status of employee and granted employee rights.

PCG take the view that this is not in our members best interests and that if the motion were to succeed it could be the start of a slippery slope. The Independent Contractors of Australia were also present, accredited by the Australian Government. Their representative was Ken Phillips who is the General Secretary of the ICA.

Ken and I operated as a pair and in many ways viewed our task as a "guerrilla raid" infiltrating as many groups as we could in an effort to influence. In the event the British and Australian Governments were against the motion but not all Governments opposed. The employers Group were vehemently against the motion and threatened to withdraw should the motion make progress.

We now know the final outcome of the debate which is the matter has been deferred to another year with a proposal that the secretariat of the ILO work towards producing a code of good practice.

Such a move would suit PCG and therefore we must view our trip as a success."

Members survey

PCG members are kindly reminded of the survey that we are conducting and the link to the Survey Monkey website is here: PCG Survey

http://www.surveymonkey.com/s.asp?u=96419230415