Note to Editors: The following remarks were made today by BOSA Deputy Leader, Nobuntu Hlazo-Webster MP, at a press conference tabling the Fair Pay Bill in Parliament, Cape Town.
On the eve of Workers’ Day, Build One South Africa (BOSA), in partnership with the PayMeFairly organisation, today announces the official gazetting of the Fair Pay Bill in Parliamnet. This is the culmination of over a year of legal work, public consultation and advocacy by BOSA and stakeholders. We believe this is a bold and necessary step toward building a fairer, more transparent labour market for every South African.
Today we are advocating through law a modern reimagining of what worker justice must mean in the 21st century. While the historic struggle secured fundamental labour rights, today’s economy demands a new frontier of reform. It must be one that confronts hidden inequalities in hiring and pay transparency.
This milestone marks the beginning of a critical national conversation about fairness in the workplace, particularly for young people and previously disadvantaged communities who continue to bear the brunt of unequal pay practices.
Every year, thousands of graduates and job seekers enter a labour market that too often operates against them. Despite being qualified and capable, and eager to contribute, many South Africans find themselves trapped in cycles of underpayment, with little power to negotiate fair wages or challenge opaque hiring practices.
Unfortunately, the odds are stacked in favour of the employer, who hold disproportionate power in determining salary levels. This power is exercised by relying on a candidate’s salary history. It cements a practice in which an individual’s trajectory is suppressed earnings based not on their true value, but on past disadvantage.
This imbalance perpetuates historical inequality. Young professionals who are the first in their families to enter the formal economy, black South Africans, and women frequently begin their careers earning significantly less than their counterparts.
When salary history is used as a benchmark, past injustice becomes future injustice.
This is not only an economic issue, but a moral one. It goes to the heart of dignity and equality, values enshrined in Sections 9 and 10 of South Africa’s Constitution.
The Fair Pay Bill, championed by BOSA in Parliament, seeks to amend the Employment Equity Act to address these systemic failures and restore fairness to the hiring process.
The Bill introduces three key reforms:
Firstly, it outlaws salary history discrimination. Employers will no longer be permitted to ask for or rely on previous payslips when determining remuneration. This ensures that job seekers are paid based on their skills, qualifications, and the value they bring.
Secondly, it mandates salary transparency. Employers will be required to disclose a salary range in all job advertisements. This removes the guesswork for applicants, prevents undercutting, and ensures that all candidates enter the process with equal information.
Thirdly, it strengthens the principle of equal pay for equal work. The Bill reinforces that remuneration must be based on merit, and not influenced by race, gender, age, or background.
The gazetting of the Bill opens a 30-day public participation process, giving South Africans an opportunity to shape this important piece of legislation.
BOSA calls on all South Africans – and in particular young people, workers, and job seekers – to make their voices heard.
There are three key ways to participate:
- Members of the public can submit their comments on the Bill via email at info@fairpaybill.co.za or through an online submission form available at www.fairpaybill.co.za.
- South Africans are also encouraged to sign the national petition in support of the Bill, which can be accessed here: https://fairpaybill.co.za/petition.html. This petition will form part of BOSA’s formal submission to Parliament.
- Finally, citizens are urged to directly engage their Members of Parliament and call on them to support the Fair Pay Bill. A simple tool to contact MPs is available here: https://fairpaybill.co.za/contact-mp.html.
BOSA will also be writing to the leaders of all political parties represented in Parliament, as well as members of the Portfolio Committee on Employment and Labour, to urge their support for the Bill.
Finally, BOSA extends its sincere appreciation to Nadine Fourie, an Advocate of the High Court specialising in labour law and a renowned mediator, who
contributed her expertise to this process. This initiative has been shaped by some of the country’s leading legal minds, many of whom, like Fourie, gave their time and skills pro bono, reflecting a shared commitment to advancing fairness and justice in South Africa.
As South Africa marks Workers’ Day, BOSA believes it is time to modernise the meaning of this historic moment for the 21st century. The fight for workers’ rights must now include the fight for fair access to opportunity, transparent hiring practices, and dignity in the workplace.
The Fair Pay Bill represents a practical, achievable reform that can help unlock economic opportunity and restore fairness in the labour market.
It is time to ensure that where you come from does not determine what you earn.
Media Enquiries:
Roger Solomons
BOSA Spokesperson
072 299 3551