United Sex Workers (USW), a union representing the rights of those that work in the sex work industry, have said they are dedicated to saving Edinburgh’s strip clubs.
Edinburgh City Council recently voted to axe the capital’s strip joints but the union have stated that they will fight the decision and have set up a fundraiser to help raise money to meet legal costs.
In just a matter of days, the fund has already raised almost £6,000 and the group hopes to achieve their target of £20,000 to fight the council’s decision.
On March 31, the council voted to close the various clubs across Edinburgh with the decision said to be endangering several dancers' ability to make a living.
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A decision was made to introduce a ‘nil-cap’ on ‘Sexual Entertainment Venue’ (known as SEVs) licenses - a decision that means that all clubs of this nature will have to close by April 2023 with no new venues allowed to open.
USW are saying that they will use the Equality Act 2010 to oppose the local authority’s decision and they say that any left over funds from their effort will go to support a similar legal challenge in Bristol.
Many employees at these clubs have voiced their support for the venues, citing backing from their partners, colleagues and mentioning the flexibility that the role allows with childcare and an adequate income.
Fears have been raised about the council’s decision forcing women into prostitution and driving stripping into unregulated and unsafe spaces that could put workers lives at risk.
A spokesperson 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."
They 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 to the legal campaign, click here.
