I don't know what to call this.. but two things.

[Bhelliom]

Australian strippers win right to meal breaks in new workplace rules




SYDNEY, Australia (AP) - Australian strippers have won the right to take time off after taking their clothes off.

The country's Industrial Relations Commission on Friday approved new workplace rules for members of the strippers union, the Striptease Artists Australia.

"We've got rights to have public holiday pay now, which we've never had in our career before," said a union spokeswoman called Mystical Melody. "We've got rosters and set hours. We can't work more than 10 hours a shift."

The award also entitles unionized strippers to overtime, rest periods, meal breaks and maternity leave, she added.

"The majority of workers in the industry are women," Melody said, "so it's probably a really great thing for them to be able to feel confident of having a job after they've had their babies."

Industrial relations commissioner Bill Mansfield said the award set out minimum working conditions but did not set out pay rates.

It was not immediately clear how many members the union has. Its members are believed to work mainly in strip bars and as erotic dancers.

In the past, other strippers have criticized the union, saying its demands for better pay and conditions could lead to job losses.





Two things strike me as odd.

A) A strippers union? can someone explain that to me? I've never heard of this before.

B) What kind of dirty shithole of a stripclub doesn't let they employees take a meal break? and that therefore requires union intervention?

[MorganGrayson]

Well, they're *workers.* Lots of workers are unionized. It just makes sense. The original reason unions came into existence was to prevent workers from being taken advantage of by employers. This makes perfect sense to me.

And "what kind of a dirty shithole of a stripclub"? C'mon, Derek. Doesn't that describe *most* strip clubs? It's very easy for those places to say "do it or you're fired" and get away with it.

This article rather brightened my day and thank you for posting it.

[Bhelliom]

I'll give you the reasons unions are around.... I've just never seen strippers as a professional occupation, I guess i've never really thought about it all that much.... but I always saw it as a transitional kind of job... with so many people going in and out of the industry it would be difficult to unionize... not to mention the number of women that are perhaps embarassed about it and not ready to reveal that part of their lives to friends and family.

and Maybe its just a canadian thing... but i've never really seen a bad club. most of the ones i've been to up here (while sometimes dark and a little dirty) always seem to take care of their employees.

And finally, with regards to the pay.... from waht I understand... at least from my local clubs... is that the women essentially work for free... and make their money off of lap dances.

[Bhelliom]

of course... I don't think about all that while i'm there... I'm 25....

my mind goes something like this .... "Boobies boobies boobies beer boobies beer beer boobies"

[MorganGrayson]

I can see how it would be difficult to contemplate sociological issues with a nipple in your bleary eyeball.