Warning on impact of new labour bills

Business in South Africa needs to be cognisant
of the changes in four Labour Bills as they
will have major impact on cost, said Prof Hugo
Pienaar of Glyn Marais Attorneys.
“The four draft Amendment Bills were tabled
on December 17 last year and are currently
before Nedlac for comment. We expect to see
some major changes to them before they will
be promulgated but business needs to take the
changes and amendments into account.”
The four Bills – the Labour Relations
Amendment Bill, the Basic Conditions of
Employment Amendment Bill, the Employment
Equity Amendment Bill and the Employment
Services Amendment Bill – have caused a major
outcry already as many fear the amendments
to the labour legislation will have disastrous
consequences for employment in the country.
“According to the amendments as they
currently stand, all workers will be deemed
permanent unless the employer can justify their
employment on a fixed-term contract, while
there will also be far wider definitions of who
is an employee within a company,” said Prof
Pienaar. “The laws also call for employers
to contribute benefits equal to those offered
to permanent employees to all its fixed-term
contractors as well as equal pay for work of
equal value – so there will be no distinction for
experience, tenure or qualifications.