Whistleblowers make bullying claims at Scottish government-funded arts bodies

Daily Record

2 days ago

SUNDAY MAIL EXCLUSIVE: Workers told how they were made to sign gagging orders and not discuss their problems or risk losing contracts.
Whistleblowers have lifted the lid on what they say is a culture of exploitation and harassment at Scottish Government -funded arts organisations.
Freelance staff are calling for ministers to get tough on rogue agencies where they claim bullying managers pay slave wages while receiving taxpayers' cash, we can reveal.
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Arts workers spoke to the Sunday Mail about their experience at organisations getting funding from Creative Scotland – the government's arts funding body which awards millions of pounds to cultural projects and institutions.
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They are backing the Scottish Trades Union Congress (STUC) campaign for Fair Work, which is urging the government to do more on its pledge to make Scotland a better and more inclusive place for workers.
Ministers launched a Fair Work action plan in 2022 which aimed to make Scotland a 'leading Fair Work nation by 2025' but the STUC said the treatment of freelancers contradicts the objectives.
An STUC report asked hundreds of freelance creative workers about their experiences and found a third of respondents had signed non-disclosure agreements forbidding them from talking about work.
More than half had experienced or witnessed bullying and sexual harassment, seven in 10 had issues with late payments while a third hadn't been paid at all.
Roz Foyer, STUC general secretary, said: 'The Scottish Government, funders, and employers across the arts must work together with unions and freelancers to build a creative sector where harassment, bullying and exploitation are no longer tolerated.
'Behind the curtain of Scotland's cultural brilliance lies a workforce where too many are subjected to bullying, sexual harassment and systemic abuse.'
It comes as the UK Government announced last week it was banning the use of non-disclosure agreements to silence workers from speaking about abuse as part of the Employment Rights Bill. If passed, it would also apply in Scotland.
One 38-year-old, who worked for a Glasgow film company, said they were made to sign a gagging order after they raised disability access and bullying concerns.
The firm started a formal investigation but asked the film-maker to sign a confidentiality agreement stating they wouldn't disclose any findings.
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Weeks later, they were informed their contract was ending before the project had finished.
She said: 'When I complained, management said they had no idea I had access needs despite having worked with them as a disabled artist for six years.
'I raised bullying concerns with the director. They went immediately into lawyer speak, defensiveness. After the investigation, I was sent an email where they basically said, 'The contract is over and we'll no longer be working with you'.
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'It wasn't just my contract either. A disabled-led organisation I'm part of has received zero work since and we are facing closure because we've lost our main partner.'
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A 30-year-old woman working at an Edinburgh theatre which received Creative Scotland funding said she had worked zero-hours contracts and not been paid rates as specified by trade unions.
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She raised issues about pay and extreme understaffing but when she met with management, she said she was told she could not discuss her working environment.
She said: 'If those giving funding out were aware of how people are treated by the organisations receiving that funding, they might think again about awarding it.'
Scottish Government spokeswoman said: 'Recommendations to ensure fair and inclusive work practices within the Scottish culture sector are being drawn up by industry representatives on the independent Culture Fair Work Task Force, including trade union representatives.
"The ongoing independent review of Creative Scotland will also consider how it can best support the needs of the sector.'