The Belgian Government is set to propose a bill that would allow the country's sex workers to be given a proper employment contract, Belgium's Employment Minister Pierre-Yves Dermagne announced to RTBF on Tuesday.
Having become the first European country to decriminalise sex work last year, Belgium now wants to "guarantee fundamental freedoms to workers in the sector," Dermagne explained, which he believes can be ensured with an employment contract.
They would be granted by "an approved employer who will provide a criminal record" and prove that their "place of business is in Belgium."
The Minister added that "pimping will remain punishable" but called for "the current hypocrisy" surrounding sex workers to be stopped by guaranteeing their rights and ensuring their work safety.
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During the same interview, Dermagne separately announced that patients suffering from breast cancer but with a favourable prognosis will be granted the "right to be forgotten," which would see their private information automatically removed from the system.
The Minister explained that "insurance companies will no longer be able to take their medical history into account when refusing them an outstanding balance insurance," with the government set to decide on the modalities "in the coming days or weeks."
