Thousands of freelancers have signed an EU-wide campaign calling for decision makers to recognise and back the independent labour market, in what they claim represents a clear message to the new European Parliament, reports freelanceuk.com.

In fact, almost 4,000 independent professionals (iPros) from the UK and other EU nations, including Italy, Germany, and Croatia, have signed up to the Freelancers Manifesto.

The manifesto calls for decision makers to recognise the rise in the number of people choosing to work for themselves as a fundamental change in working patterns, and urges support for their economic contributions.

According to freelanceuk, the independent work sector is now the fastest growing part of the European labour market, with the number of people choosing to ‘go it alone’ rising in 2013 by as much as +93% in some countries.

Joel Dullroy, the Berlin-based freelancer who set up the campaign, reflected on the thousands of European citizens who are endorsing the five basic tenets at the heart of the manifesto: “This sends a clear message to the new European Parliament that they must do more for this important and flourishing sector.”

The manifest calls for politicians to:

• Recognise freelancers by giving them official status at all levels of government and bureaucracy.
• Make sure freelancers can access all government services, bid for official contracts, access training programmes, and qualify for funding.
• Include freelancers in all official statistics – not just consider freelancers in the same category as small businesses.
• Talk to the representative organisations and appoint an EU freelancers’ envoy.
• Treat freelancers fairly; including on-time payments and written contracts to ensure they are treated ethically.  

The UK trade body for freelancers, PCG, welcomed the signatories, stating that all they want are simple and clear freelance-friendly policies to help self-employed people, as well as politicians and businesses.

Andy Chamberlain of the PCG, commented: “Improving access to training and services and better regulation that specifically considers the unique needs of independent professionals are just some of the ways the new EU Parliament can support freelancers. Similar to the SME Envoy, appointing an iPro Envoy to champion freelancers at the top of the European Parliament will offer further support for independent professionals.”