Tuesday, April 19 2005 18:41 Hrs (IST) - World Time -

Bangalore: A union for sex workers - on the lines of one existing in metros such as Mumbai and Delhi - is set to take wings in Bangalore shortly.

The union, seeking to espouse the cause of sex workers, is planned to be formally launched in early May, according to a trade union leader and advocate, Premkumar.

A total of 120 members have already enrolled in the union, he told PTI on the sidelines of a meeting of trade union leaders, called by Labour Minister Tanveer Sait, to discuss labour-related issues.

The union would demand a stop to "police harassment" of sex workers and push for legislation to make the world's oldest profession legal, give it an industry status and issue licences for their profession, he said.

According to him, the number of sex workers in Bangalore is estimated to be 'in hundreds'.