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PRESS
RELEASE
PRESS RELEASE
PRESS RELEASE 22
September 1992
PROSTITUTE
WOMEN'S PHONES RECONNECTED BT
WAS BREAKING THE LAW In response to complaints by a number of women in
the English Collective of Prostitutes' network, represented by solicitors
Leigh, Day & Co, OFTEL has ruled that British Telecom's action of
cutting off the phones of women who advertise sexual services in phone
boxes contravenes their obligation to "provide universal
service" without "discrimination against particular
customers". Women’s phones will be immediately reconnected. Susan
Shannon, one of the women affected commented "I
am very pleased that BT is going to reinstate all the phone lines which
had been terminated. Many working girls have been forced to take out new
telephone lines at extra expense or even to move." We are urging everyone who was cut off in this
way to come forward and claim compensation. BT intends to retaliate by adding a new provision
to their standard customer contract, and OFTEL, which represents
subscribers, seems to have agreed this with BT without consulting anyone.
With complaints against BT's bills and services rising by one third in
December 1991, we hope that OFTEL will be more concerned with protecting
customers than with protecting BT. This is not BT's first attempt to discriminate
against sex workers. In July 1992, BT gave evidence at a House of Lords
hearing in support of Clause 6 of the London Local Authorities Bill which
would have criminalised placing cards in phone boxes. The Lords ruled in
favour of the ECP's petition opposing this and struck out Clause 6. BT claimed then that it was legal to cut off the
phones. This has now proven not to be the case. But many women have paid a
heavy price for BT's illegality, in loss of income and anxiety about how
they would be able to make a living. BT claims that cards cover up emergency numbers
and other useful information displayed in phone boxes. Yet at the Lords
hearing BT agreed they had received no complaints about this. BT's main objection to women advertising seems to
be that they do not profit from it. This is scandalous, particularly given
their record profits of £101 a second (November 1991), including from sex
lines where women earn less than £3 an hour. Prostitute women and the
young people or pensioners they employ to put up cards, are trying to make
a living in times of recession, growing unemployment and cuts in benefits
and resources. According to government figures, the number of people
living below the poverty line has increased from 5 million in 1978 to 12
million in 1988-89. Preventing women from advertising in phone boxes
would force more women and young
people onto the streets where they will face increased poverty, arrests,
violence and persecution. The prostitution laws make it illegal to
advertise and many magazines, newspapers, newsagents, etc refuse to take
ads for massage or other services. Cards in phone boxes are a major way in
which prostitute women advertise in order to stay off the streets. Women
whose phones are cut off will no longer be able to work from premises. Westminster Council has been leaning on OFTEL and
urging residents to complain about the cards, claiming that this is the
only litter problem Westminster has. Any increase in street prostitution
is likely to result in more complaints than cards in phone boxes. Cards
are not obscene; if any are, they can be dealt with under Obscenity law. For
more information contact: Niki
Adams or Nina Lopez Jones English
Collective of Prostitutes (071) 837 7509 or Sally Moore Leigh, Day & Co (071) 242 1775
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