By Perkin Amalaraj. Belgium has become the first country in the world to approve an employment law that gives prostitutes new rights, including being able to access pensions, health insurance and maternity leave.
The new law, ratified on Friday, allows sex workers to sign employment contracts with pimps that gives them access to rights that they previously did not have, despite the legalisation of the world's oldest profession in They also get access to unemployment and family benefits, as well as annual leave rights, and the new law gives them the right to end their contract with no notice period.
On top of benefits, the law gives prostitutes protections against job-related issues, and forces pimps to stick to strict working conditions. Sex workers now have the right to refuse clients and sexual acts at any time, and they can refuse to sit behind Amsterdam-style windows or to advertise at all if they believe there is a risk to their safety.
The new law, ratified on Friday, allows sex workers to sign employment contracts with pimps that gives them access to rights that they previously did not have File Image.
Sex workers also get access to unemployment and family benefits, as well as annual leave rights File Image. If, however, a sex worker chooses to exercise these rights more than ten times in six months, the sex worker or the pimp can request a government-backed mediator to come in and settle disputes. The pimp, however, cannot fire their employee if they choose to exercise their refusal rights. Pimps must also be registered with the government, and have to meet strict criteria if they want an official license to run brothels.
