Strippers — they're late-night confidants, entertainers, and stag-do staples. But beyond that, many of us have been in the dark about their world, until now.
By Kristin Hall, Sunday reporter
When a group of Calendar Girls dancers were fired en masse in February, it brought national attention to the issue of working rights of dancers in the adult entertainment industry.
A new contract had been introduced for Calendar Girls dancers, increasing the price of a standard dance, but lowering their cut from 60% to 50%. For other services like Strip-O-Grams, strippers only get a 40% cut.
As a result 37 dancers banded together and wrote a letter to management, asking for a 60/40 split. The response was swift and public — a post by the boss in a Facebook group, calling out 19 dancers by name, and telling them to clean out their lockers within two days.
Calendar Girls says the changes are justified, but the dancers say the mass lay-off is just one example of strip club culture in which exploitation, assault and wage theft are rife.
In an investigation, current and former strippers from around the country share their stories, and Sunday seeks answers from their bosses.
And if you know more about this story, contact reporter Kristin Hall here — kristin.hall@tvnz.co.nz
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