The National Union of Journalists (NUJ) has condemned regional newspaper publishers Newsquest and Trinity Mirror have increasingly relying on readers to submit their photos without payment.

And the union claimed that the weekly freelance photography budget of Johnston Press’s portfolio of more than 20 local newspapers in Scotland is £15. The publisher responded by saying: “Our overall photographic budget is considerably more than the NUJ is citing.”

The NUJ is currently running the month long  #useitpayforit campaign to encourage amateur photographers to charge “properly” for their work.