Belgium becomes the first country in the world to approve a labour law on the employment contracts for s*x workers. The Belgian Parliament passed the law on May 3rd, 2024, with 93 votes in favor, 33 abstentions, and no votes against it, as reported by The Telegraph.
What are the things included under labour law for s*x workers?
The law grants s*x workers various entitlements including health insurance, family benefits, pensions, holidays, unemployment benefits, and maternity leave, as reported by the telegraph. The law also safeguards workers’ anonymity to prevent discrimination when seeking other employment opportunities.
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Adding to this, it outlines rights for workers and conditions for their employers, such as the right to refuse clients or sexual acts, the ability to halt a sexual act without fear of reprisal, and the freedom to end contracts without notice while retaining unemployment benefits. If a prostitute declines a client more than ten times within six months, a pimp can request government intervention but cannot terminate the worker.
Pimps are required to provide an alarm button in rooms where sexual services are offered and ensure access to safety personnel for s*x workers, the report further mentioned.
Notably, these regulations do not extend to pornographic actors, strippers, or webcam performers.
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S*x workers unions welcome the law
The labour law has been welcomed by multiple s*x worker unions in Belgium. Speaking to The Brussels Times, a spokesperson for UTSOPI, described the law as “extremely important,” emphasizing Belgium’s commitment to safeguarding s*x workers irrespective of societal opinions about their profession.
The spokesperson also voiced optimism that the law’s enforcement might prompt a shift away from the recent trend of criminalizing clients across Europe. In 2022, Belgium had become the first country in Europe to decriminalize self-employed s*x work.
