Sex workers in Belgium gain historic labour rights as new law takes effect

euronews (in English)

The new law in Belgium, which came into force over the weekend, grants sex workers formal employment contracts and legal protections similar to other workers.

Transcript

00:00In a revolutionary move, Belgian sex workers are now able to sign formal employment contracts

00:07and gain labour rights on par with other professions.

00:10The new law also establishes fundamental rights for sex workers, including the right to refuse

00:15clients, choose their practices and stop and act at any moment.

00:19I think the advantages of the new law are that you can easily apply for loans at the

00:25bank, you can easily apply for insurances, and that it will be better for us if we retire.

00:36And if you are sick, we can also get our pension.

00:42Hoping to clamp down on abuse and exploitation within the industry, the law means sex workers

00:48will now have access to health insurance, paid leave, maternity benefits, unemployment

00:53support and pensions.

00:55My biggest fear is that the ladies will go home faster, so they will be more likely to

01:02be sick, even though they don't really have anything.

01:06Of course we don't know that, we can never say.

01:10I know that happens in all sectors, but I hope that won't be the case here.

01:16Yes, I hope so.

01:19Though some countries like Germany or the Netherlands have legalised sex work, none

01:23have implemented labour protections as comprehensive as Belgium.

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