Montreal strippers call for strike during Canadian Grand Prix weekend

The Sex Work Autonomous Committee said that the grand prix weekend is "the most lucrative period of the year for our boss". Mark Thompson/Getty Images Share articleStrippers in Montreal have called for a strike during this month’s Formula 1 Canadian Grand Prix in protest over working rights and conditions. The Sex Work Autonomous Committee (SWAC) is planning the strike for May 23, the day of the sprint race and qualifying at the Circuit Gilles Villeneuve. The grand prix takes place the following day. The grand prix weekend was described by the SWAC as the “busiest” and “most lucrative period of the year” for clubs. In a statement, SWAC laid out their goals, demanding the abolition of the bar fee (which strippers are required to pay to perform in clubs), worker status and “safe working conditions like in any other jobs”. It said that it had deliberately targeted the grand prix to make the biggest and most effective statement. Last year, a record 352,000 people attended the Canadian Grand Prix, which was won by Mercedes’ George Russell, over the course of the weekend. “We think the grand prix is the best time to strike,” it said. “The clubs are at their busiest, making it the most lucrative period of the year for our boss. This is our chance to threaten that income and affect them when it hurts the most. “During this time, despite management making more money, dancers have to put up with a list of new rules, increased bar fees, overbooking and generally worse working conditions.” SWAC claimed that “bar fees are increased exorbitantly during F1 and new arbitrary rules are often heavily enforced with exploitative penalty fees attached”. “The reality is that we’re clearly trapped in an employer/employee power dynamic, and the bar fee model benefits only the bosses,” it added. “Indeed, they have every incentive to bring in as many dancers as possible each night to maximize their profits. As for our safety, our employers show very little concern and leave us to handle it on our own.” The Canadian Grand Prix gets underway with the weekend’s only practice session on Friday May 22 at 1:30 p.m. local time (12:30 p.m. ET; 5:30 p.m BST) before sprint qualifying four hours later. The sprint race is at 1 p.m. local time on Saturday, with grand prix qualifying at 5 p.m. The grand prix itself is at 5 p.m on May 24. Spot the pattern. Connect the terms Find the hidden link between sports terms