Sex work as work

The sale of sex and sexual services forms a substantial part of economic activity in western economies, employing several millions of people and generating considerable revenues and profits.

Gregor Gall, Professor of Industrial Relations at the University of Hertfordshire will give his professorial lecture exploring the concept of 'sex as work' on Tuesday 30 May.

It will be argued that there are a number of significant characteristics that make the case for classifying 'sex work', ranging from different types of prostitution (street, brothel, escort) to exotic dancers (lap-dancing, stripping), pornography (magazines, film, internet) and sex chatlines, as work.

Professor Gall said: "The idea of 'sex as work' has been developed by sex work activists as a means and rationale by which to campaign to establish their rights as ordinary citizens, labourers and human beings. It fundamentally challenges the way work is seen by most.

"The concept of 'sex as work' also challenges the dominant way in which the selling of sex and sexualities are viewed in western societies. It desexualises them at the same time as making them more ordinary and humdrum."

Professor Gall is ideally placed to explore issues surrounding work and workers. He is Director of the Centre for Research in Employment Studies at the University of Hertfordshire. He was previously Professor of Industrial Relations at the University of Stirling. He regularly commentates on trade union and industrial relations issues in the press. He is the author of the forthcoming book 'Sex Worker Union Organising: an international study' (Palgrave 2006).

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University of Hertfordshire