Simon Hunter
PATRONS in the exclusive Madrid nightclub Opium may have been surprised to see just how many attractive young women were always present inside – many of them aged between 20 and 30, and all of them wearing high heels.
It turns out that there was a reason for such clientele: they were being paid off the books by the nightspot as a way to attract male partygoers, and to persuade these men to pay for VIP tables and expensive bottles of booze.
The practice is a common one in Spain’s nightlife scene, but that could be about to change: as part of an investigation into these practices at Opium, the Policia Nacional arrested the owner of the club.
On a visit to the venue, police officers identified at least 22 women who were there working as chicas imagen, according to a report in Spanish daily El Pais. What’s more, four of the girls did not have proper residency in Spain.
The girls were recruited by the club via social media, and once they were hired they would be offered work via a WhatsApp channel.
They were given strict instructions about their appearance, which included obligatory high heels, and were instructed to give men ‘a close and upbeat, even suggestive treatment’.
The women were reportedly earning between €50 and €80 a night, which could be paid in cash or via transfers such as Bizum.
The owner of the nightclub could be facing charges related to employment laws, given that none of the women had work contracts.
The work inspectorate has also proposed a series of administrative fines for Opium.
More inspections are due to be carried out over the coming months, according to El Pais.
