Posted on 12/12/2005 10:55:43 PM PST by Aussie Dasher
STRIPTEASE artists have had an early win in the Australian Industrial Relations Commission in their fight for an award to establish basic wages and workplace conditions.
Canberra-based union Striptease Artists of Australia (SAA) presented its 47-page log of claims listing more than 300 businesses as respondents at a two-day hearing of the AIRC in Melbourne, beginning yesterday.
The union has sought pay rates of up to $310 for three minutes of lap-dancing in skimpy clothing, $360 for a topless dance and $510 for a three-minute nude performance, $1960 for a 15-minute explicit table-top dance and $1100 an hour for a full-time nude waitress.
Lawyer Tim Greenall, appearing for employer group the Australian Striptease Association (ASA), told the AIRC today that the ASA had not been able to arrange proper legal representation for the hearing.
Mr Greenall said the ASA was in dispute with its earlier legal counsel who would take no further part in the case.
He asked for an adjournment and said the group would pay reasonable out-of-pocket union expenses because of the delay.
SAA spokeswoman Mystical Melody, a 20-year industry veteran who represented the union at the hearing, said ASA had plenty of time to arrange alternative counsel.
AIRC senior deputy president Brian Lacy found in favour of the union, declared an industrial dispute and ordered the parties to conciliate from next month.
Outside the hearing, Mr Greenall said the employers would consider their position, describing the decision as "a denial of natural justice".
Ms Melody said she believed the adjournment bid was a ploy to delay the case until after new industrial legislation was in place.
"If they were having genuine problems, they could have just rang the commissioner's office ... and we could have organised an adjournment then, but not the day before the hearing," she said.
"What the commissioner said yesterday was to be prepared for a decision today, and they didn't prepare themselves."
Ms Melody said strippers at many table-top dancing clubs worked long hours, but were not paid by the owners. Instead, they had to pay a shift fee for the right to work.
They earned tips from customers and handed a percentage of those to the club, she said.
"It's possible that the girls can walk away owing the club," she said.
"This industry has never experienced industrial relations at all.
"They've never considered taking on employees and giving them rights.
"You just do as you're told, you get paid the amount of money (and) they don't give you any rights. If you complain, you're off the roster."
So if they don't like it, why don't they open their own venue?
Oh, and....pics?
Pics...of the Arbitration Commission?
A whole lot more unemployed strippers is my guess.
Do you really want pictures?
They just missed being named the Striptease Artists of Australia Guild (SAAG).
Well, at least it's not a "Tookie" thread...
Why not?
"...$310 for three minutes of lap-dancing in skimpy clothing, $360 for a topless dance."
I may have to settle for a lap dancer wrapped in a burlap bag..
Wow, those are the most unreasonable wage demands I've heard in my life.
OH...I thought it said "a 20-year-OLD industry veteran". Cancel the pics!
$1960 for a 15-minute explicit table-top dance ?
Even in Ausie dollars, that is huge many!
Way too much. How much for wearing a very very tight white T-shirt??
Oh it may seem high. But they have to supply their own tables. And those things don't always hold up well. Stop snickering I mean the tables.
They can always import cheap mexican strippers, doing the jobs aussies won't do.
Now that was just plain nasty.
I guess I deserved that for seeing "stripper" in the title and wondering if there'd be visuals...but have a little mercy.
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