South Africa’s minister of employment and labour has published a sweeping set of proposed amendments to the Basic Conditions of Employment Act, the Employment Equity Act and the National Minimum Wage Act.
modernise key labour laws and introduce practical measures aimed at improving job security, promoting fairness, and extending fundamental rights to vulnerable and previously excluded categories of workers.
For workers on digital labour platforms, who access task-based work opportunities through an app, one amendment is particularly significant. Amendment 50A introduces expanded definitions of employer and employee that could extend labour and social protections to platform workers. These include minimum wages, paid leave, social security, occupational health and safety coverage, and the right to collectively bargain.
Until now, platform companies have largely avoided national regulations by presenting themselves as intermediaries rather than geographically tethered service providers. But the tide is turning as governments and international standard-setting institutions move to regulate the platform economy.
South Africa’s labour law amendment is a part of this broader global effort. Propelled by platform worker organising, several countries, including Kenya, Egypt and Nigeria, have introduced regulations for ride-hailing services. At the international level, member states of the International Labour Organization are expected to adopt new standards for platform work...
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