Intercourse staff in Belgium have been granted full employment rights, together with maternity pay, sick days and pensions.
The brand new legislation, which got here into power on Sunday, places them on a par with these in different professions in a authorized breakthrough some supporters are calling a “revolution”.
Intercourse staff can now signal employment contracts and have been granted elementary rights together with with the ability to refuse shoppers, select their practices, and cease an act at any second.
Belgium decriminalised intercourse work in 2022, and whereas international locations reminiscent of Germany and the Netherlands have legalised intercourse work, none have carried out labour protections as complete as Belgium’s.
The laws establishes guidelines on working hours, pay and security measures, in addition to granting intercourse staff entry to medical insurance, paid depart, maternity advantages, unemployment help and pensions.
It additionally locations duties on employers, who should present clear linen, condoms, and hygiene merchandise, and set up emergency buttons in workspaces.
Anybody wishing to make use of intercourse staff now has to acquire authorisation, adhere to strict security protocols, and meet background necessities, together with no prior convictions for sexual assault or human trafficking.
“This is an incredible step forward,” mentioned Isabelle Jaramillo, co-ordinator of Espace P, an advocacy group concerned in drafting the laws.
“It means their profession can finally be recognised as legitimate by the Belgian state.”
She added: “From the employer’s perspective, this will also be a revolution. They’ll have to apply for a state authorisation to hire sex workers.
“Beneath the earlier laws, hiring somebody for intercourse work mechanically made you a pimp, even when the association was consensual.”
Unbiased intercourse work stays permitted, however unregulated third-party hiring or violations of the authorized framework can be prosecuted.
However critics argue the legislation can not totally tackle the stigma and dangers tied to the commerce, particularly for undocumented intercourse staff.
“There’s still a lot of work to be done,” mentioned Ms Jaramillo, emphasising the necessity for higher police and judicial coaching to guard marginalised staff.
