The OTRAS union was established in August 2018 but closed its doors three months later following an order of the National Court.

Spain’s highest court, however, has now found in favour of OTRAS, saying its statutes – upon which the initial legal challenge was based – were legal and that sex workers “have the fundamental right to freedom of association and the right to form a union”.

In its ruling of November 2018, the National Court had argued that letting the union exist amounted to “recognising the act of procurement as lawful”.

There are a large number of licensed brothels in Spain, where sex work occupies a legal grey area.