Select Committee gives green light for employment contracts for sex workers
The Federal Parliament’s Social Affairs Select Committee has approved a bill that once it becomes law will make it possible for sex workers to be given contracts of employment. The committee members voted to approve the bill at what was its second reading. The bill will be put before a plenary session of the Chamber of Representatives in two weeks’ time.
Since June 2022 sex work has no longer been forbidden by law in Belgium. Sex workers can now legally work as a self-employed person and build up pension and social security rights. With their bill the Federal Employment Minister Pierre-Yves Dermagne (Francophone socialist), the Federal Social Affairs Minister Frank Vandenbroucke (Flemish socialist) and the Federal Justice Minister Paul Van Tigchelt (Flemish liberal) will make it possible for sex workers to work for an employer with a contract of employment. This will provide them with certain guarantee regarding, for example, their salary and workinghours.
The bill also provides a numer of safeguards. For example sex workers that work for an employer will not be able to be sacked if they refuse to engage in certain sexual practice or refuse to provide their services to a particular customer. Furthermore, all the rooms where sex workers working under a contract of employment receive customers must be equipped with a panic button. Sex workers’ employers must have no criminal record.