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Daily Record
Daily Record
National
Sarah Ward & Lynn Love

Sex workers union raises £3k in bid to save Edinburgh strip clubs after council vote

A union for sex workers has vowed to save Edinburgh strip joints after the council voted to axe the clubs.

United Sex Workers said they will challenge the decision and have set-up a fundraiser to help with legal costs.

They set a target of £20,000 and have already raised £3,000 in just three days.

The City of Edinburgh Council voted to axe the clubs putting dancers out of jobs on March 31.

The local authority voted in favor of a 'nil-cap' on 'Sexual Entertainment Venue' (known as SEVs) licenses - effectively shutting all Edinburgh strip clubs as of April 2023 and forbidding any new ones to open.

The union is citing the Equality Act 2010 as a reason to push back on the decision and hopes to use any leftover cash to fund a similar challenge in Bristol.

Women have spoken out about the reasons they work in strip clubs, the support they get from their partners and colleagues and the flexibility it allows with childcare and disposable income.

Concerns were voiced that it would push women into prostitution and drive stripping underground, making it less safe for women.

A spokesman for the union said: "They form part of a wider attempt by the state to oppress precarious workers and dictate what women and other minorities can do with their bodies.

"It leaves hundreds of precarious workers unemployed during a time of unprecedented financial insecurity and rising living costs.

"We have a legal team in place to challenge the nil-cap's compatibility with the Equality Act 2010 and are confident we will win.

"It's hard to anticipate the exact costs of the initial challenge but we would like to reach £20,000 which will help us with the case against Edinburgh City Council.

"This is the amount suggested to us by the legal team who are willing to take this case on and are ready and waiting to do so once we have the funds ready - with help from yourselves.

"After this, we'd like to continue crowdfunding towards £40,000 so we can distribute funds to any future legal costs towards the ongoing SEV nil-cap debate in Bristol.

"Anything leftover from this fund will be distributed as hardship funds for our members who have suffered loss of earnings due to the SEV nil-cap.

"As a union we remain committed to transparency and a full breakdown of spending from this fundraiser will be provided."

It added: "We have a right to work safely and to survive, and we need your support to fight against local councils as they continue to close our workplaces."

To donate click here.

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