Australian strippers win right to meal breaks

Australian strippers have won the right to take time off after taking their clothes off.

The country’s Industrial Relations Commission today approved new workplace rules for members of the strippers’ union, 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 Mystical Melody in Sydney. “We’ve got rosters and set hours. We can’t work more than 10 hours a shift.”

The award also entitles unionised 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 criticised the union, saying its demands for better pay and conditions could lead to job losses.