Spain's high-class escorts are refusing to have sex with the nation's bankers - until they open up credit lines to cash-strapped families and firms.

西班牙高级妓女日前掀起“性罢工”，拒绝为该国银行家提供服务，直到他们为陷入经济困境的家庭和公司提供更多贷款。

Madrid's top-end prostitutes say their indefinite strike will continue until bank employees 'fulfill¹ their responsibility to society' and start offering bigger loans for struggling Spaniards, it has been claimed.

Sneaky bankers were trying to circumvent²（包围，陷害） the protest by claiming to be architects or engineers, the sex-workers said.

But this was 'not fooling anyone' because, as one escort revealed: 'It has been many years since these professionals could afford rates that start from €300 per hour.'

The capital's largest luxury prostitute trade association, which is reportedly initiating³ the strike, said: 'We are the only ones with a real ability to pressure the sector⁴.

'We have been on strike for three days now and we don't think they can withstand much more,' added the woman, known as Ana MG.

It said the move came after one of its members, Lucia, pressured a bank employee client to grant a loan by halting her 'sexual services'.

Mexican website SDPnoticias.com, who was joined by Russia Today in breaking the news which some have claimed is a 'hoax⁵（骗局，恶作剧） ', reported that the bankers became so desperate they called in the government for mediation⁶.

The sex-worker strike comes as Spain is set to be hit by a general strike on Thursday in protest at high unemployment and changes to labour laws that make it cheaper for firms to lay off workers.

Train, bus and air traffic will be severely⁷ limited as unions, which represent one in five Spanish workers, agreed to retain minimum transport services.

The government's labour market reform is just the latest in a series of measures Spain has taken in the last two years to try to make its economy more competitive.

At the same time, unemployment has soared to a staggering 23 percent and the economy is heading into its second recession in three years.