The Department of Employment and Labour hosted another successful Employment Equity workshop with the latest session held in the Western Cape on 11 August 2026, bringing together employers, heads of organisations, employees, trade unions, Employment Equity managers, members of consultative Employment Equity forums, and Human Resource managers and practitioners.

The session provided an opportunity for the Department to brief the key stakeholders on proposed changes to South Africa's labour laws.

Department's Assistant Director for the Basic Conditions of Employment Act (BCEA) and National Minimum Wage (NMW), Mr Thobani Mbonambi, said the proposed Labour Relations Amendment Bill and Employment Laws Amendment Bills are aimed at strengthening worker protection, improving enforcement and updating labour legislation.

“The proposed amendments are aimed at giving workers better protection, making it easier to enforce labour laws and ensuring that the laws keep up with changes in the workplace.," said Mbonambi.

One of the key areas highlighted was the proposed changes to parental leave under the BCEA.

Mbonambi said that the proposed changes would give parents more options when taking leave after the birth or arrival of a child. Parents of a newborn child, adoptive parents of a child aged six or younger, and parents who have a child through a surrogate would be able to take parental leave.

He said that where only one parent is employed, that parent would be entitled to four months of parental leave. Where both parents are employed, they would have a total of four months and 10 days of leave to share between them. The parents would be able to agree on how they want to divide the leave.

In cases involving a birth mother, the proposed provisions would allow her to take up to four months of leave, while the other parent would be entitled to 10 days. If the birth mother takes less than four months, the other parent could take the remaining portion.

For adoption and surrogacy cases, the proposed leave would be shared equally between the parents where there is no alternative agreement.

The Department said the Employment Equity workshops remain an important platform for engaging stakeholders on workplace transformation, compliance with labour legislation and proposed developments in the country's labour laws.

The Department of Employment and Labour continues to use the Employment Equity workshops as a platform to engage employers, employees and other stakeholders on their rights and responsibilities, while providing information on developments in labour legislation and promoting compliance in workplaces.

For media inquiries, please contact:

Teboho Thejane

Departmental Spokesperson

082 697 0694/ teboho.thejane@labour.gov.za

-ENDS-

Issued by: Department of Employment and Labour

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