Will you star in porn films, job centres ask out-of-work actors

Unemployed Belgians are being asked if they are willing to star in pornographic films by job centres in Brussels.

Politicians have called for the question to be axed from a list for jobseekers prepared by Actiris, which is the public employment agency in the capital.

Actiris can impose penalties on people refusing work, which has fuelled the controversy further.

“This is downright scandalous,” said Françoise De Smedt, who leads the Workers Party of Belgium in Brussels’ regional parliament.

“This is a government service that should help jobseekers find a decent job. Jobseekers really should not be faced with such proposals. By the way, it’s also creating a number of very uncomfortable moments for Actiris advisers!”

Totally unacceptable

Ms De Smedt said the “trivialisation” of selling your body was “totally unacceptable on the part of a public service”.

She added: “Does this mean that an artist looking for a job who does not agree to act in a pornographic movie can be punished?”

The offending questionnaire asks actors and artists to indicate how happy they would be to perform in different types of work. The list includes radio dramas, short films and pornographic films.

‘Not a proposal but a question’

Actiris spokesman Romain Adam said the question was “not a proposal but a question”.

“The questionnaire serves to determine what job-seeking artists and actors are interested in and where they want to work. The questionnaire should give us an insight into that. And there is nothing wrong with that,” he said.

Mr Adam said the same questionnaire was being used in Flanders and Wallonia, which are the other federal regions of Belgium apart from Brussels.

He added: “If it is decided at the political level that this question should be removed, we will do so. But for the moment, no such decision has been taken.”