THE Department of Employment and Labour has published the Labour Laws Amendment Bill, 2025 and the Labour Relations Amendment Bill, 2025, together with related notices, marking a significant step toward modernising South Africa’s labour framework and strengthening protections for workers.

The proposed reforms introduce measures aimed at improving job security, promoting fairness, extending labour rights to vulnerable and previously excluded workers, and strengthening enforcement mechanisms to ensure compliance.

The amendments introduce a shared parental leave model, replacing the fragmented maternity and parental leave framework. A single employed parent will be entitled to four months’ parental leave, while two employed parents will share four months and 10 days, subject to agreement or equal sharing in the absence of agreement, with priority given to the birthing mother. Protections are extended to adoptive parents of children up to six years old and commissioning parents in surrogate arrangements.

New provisions in the Basic Conditions of Employment Act (BCEA) require employers to provide written confirmation of guaranteed hours, maximum hours, availability periods, and reasonable notice for shift changes or cancellations. Workers must be paid if shifts are cancelled without proper notice.

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In a statement shared by the Department of Employment and Labour, it states that statutory severance pay for retrenchments will increase from one week to two weeks’ remuneration per completed year of service. Severance pay disputes may now be referred directly to the Commission for Conciliation, Mediation and Arbitration (CCMA) or a bargaining council.

A new Schedule 11 introduces a presumption of employment, extending organisational rights, collective bargaining, and protection against unfair dismissal to many workers currently classified as independent contractors, including gig and platform-based workers.

The Minister of Employment and Labour, Nomakhosazana Meth, said the amendments reflect government’s commitment to dignity, fairness, and inclusion in the workplace.

“These reforms recognise the changing world of work and ensure that our labour laws remain responsive, protective and fair. No worker should fall into a grey area where they contribute to the economy but are denied basic rights and protections.”

The minister added that the introduction of a shared parental leave model promotes gender equality and supports families during one of life’s most important moments. “It acknowledges diverse family structures and strengthens security for working parents.”

Addressing protections for vulnerable and non-standard workers, she stated, “Workers on zero-hours contracts and those in the gig economy have for too long faced uncertainty and insecurity. These amendments introduce clear standards, promote predictability of income, and extend fundamental rights to those previously excluded.”

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On enforcement and benefit fund compliance, the minister emphasised that employees’ hard-earned contributions to pension and medical aid funds must be protected.