The Beeld News Paper published an article in it’s 5 November 2019 edition regarding paternity leave and the right to claim paternity benefits from the Unemployment Benefit Fund, which may cause some confusion.
The article named “Pa’s kan vir 10 dae na baba se geboorte van WVF eis” is to some extent factually wrong.
This article may cause readers to assume that the rights to paternity leave in terms of the future amendments to the Basic Conditions of Employment Act via the Labour Laws Amendment Act has come into operation on 1 November 2019.
Only sections 8 (a) (cA), 11, 15 and 16 of the Act has come into operation. These sections now allow employees to be able to claim paternity benefits from UIF with the birth of a child.
The rights to paternity leave is not yet a reality. Employees may not “demand” that such leave be granted to them until the amendments to the Basic Conditions of Employment Act comes into operation.
Compiled by Otto Bronkhorst
National Manager: Training and Research
012 8102011/0748946712