In a first, Belgian sex workers to get pensions, insurance, maternity leaves: Report

Belgium has approved a labour law on the employment contracts for sex workers - the first country to do so in the world.

Belgium has approved a labour law on the employment contracts for sex workers - the first country to do so in the world. According to a report by The Telegraph, the Belgian Parliament approved the law on Friday last week with 93 votes in favour, 33 abstentions and no votes against it.

Belgium becomes first country to approve labour laws for sex workers(Reuters)

In 2022, Belgium had become the first country in Europe to decriminalize self-employed sex work.

What does the labour law for sex workers provide?

As per The Telegraph's report, under the law, sex workers will be entitled to health insurance, pensions, unemployment and family benefits, holidays and maternity leaves. The law bestows certain rights on the worker and conditions on their employer, such as the right to refuse a client or a sexual act and the right to interrupt a sexual act at any time without fear of dismissal or punishment.

Under the law, sex workers are also entitled to carry out a sexual act however they wish and can also end their contract at any time with no notice period and would not lose their right to unemployment benefits, the report said.

Along with this, workers' anonymity will be protected under the law to ensure that sex workers can apply for other jobs without the fear of discrimination.

According to the law, if a prostitute refuses a client more than ten times over a time of six months, a pimp (a person who gets clients for the prostitutes) can call for an intervention by the government but will not be able to sack the employee.

The report also mentioned that pimps must provide the sex workers with an alarm button in the room where the sexual services are provided. They must also ensure that the sex workers have access to someone in charge of ensuring their safety, it added.

Notably, the labour law does not apply to pornographic actors, strippers or webcam performers.

Sex workers unions welcome the law

Several sex worker unions in Belgium have welcomed the labour law. One of the unions, UTSOPI's spokesperson, while speaking to The Brussels Times, called the law “extremely important”, adding that Belgium is demonstrating it aims to protect sex workers, regardless of any moral judgements about the profession people may have.

He also hoped that the implementation of the law could lead to a reversal of the recent trend of criminalising clients in Europe.