Belgian Sex Workers Granted Maternity Leave, Pensions, And Holidays Under Labor Law

Belgium has made history by becoming the first country globally to enact labor laws specifically for sex workers. This groundbreaking legislation allows individuals in the regulated sex industry to benefit from employment contracts, granting them access to health insurance, pensions, unemployment benefits, holidays, and maternity leave. The law also introduces safety measures that enable sex workers to decline specific clients or acts without risking job termination.

 

"This law is a world first. I cannot stress enough how important this is," said Daan Bauwens, spokesperson for UTSOPI, the Belgian union for sex workers. "Belgium is setting a protective example for sex workers, free from any moral judgments about their profession," Bauwens added, expressing hope that this legislation might inspire similar reforms in other countries, potentially reversing the trend of criminalizing sex work clients in Europe.

 

The new legislation, which follows Belgium's 2022 decriminalization of self-employed sex work, stipulates that sex workers can refuse clients multiple times without dismissal. Specifically, if a worker declines more than ten client requests within six months, a pimp can request government mediation but cannot terminate the employment. Moreover, sex workers have the freedom to choose how they perform sexual acts and are not obligated to display themselves in Amsterdam-style shop windows, common in parts of Belgium.

 

Sex workers now have the right to terminate their contracts at any time without forfeiting unemployment benefits. However, the legislation does not extend to pornographic actors, strippers, or webcam performers. Pimps are required to have a registered office in Belgium and must obtain approval before offering contracts, which will be denied if they have convictions for serious crimes, including sexual assault or abuse of prostitutes. They are also mandated to provide sex workers with an emergency alarm button.

 

Although countries like New Zealand, Germany, and the Netherlands have recognized sex work for years, none have established a legal framework as comprehensive as Belgium's.