Luanda - The proposed General Labour Law, under discussion in the specialty by the National Assembly, since Tuesday, expands the number of options for disciplinary measures, said on Thursday, Milonga Bernardo, member of parliament for the ruling party.
Milonga Bernardo told ANGOP the bill shows that workers will be better protected by the way it is hierarchical outlined. For instance, “except for very serious situations, the employer will not be able to use the dismissal measure for just cause, because it has a set of other alternative measures to apply”, he added.
For the parliamentarian, the laws fit today’s contexts, because societies are not static, so legislators are working on details to find a fairer law for the employer and employee.
In this regard, the chairperson of Thursday’s session, Manuel Neto, told press that “it is a law to defend the stability of “labour”, so that the interests are in accordance with the goals of the national economy.
On Thursday the law makers were focused on matters about teleworking employment, contracts and its adequacy to Angola context.
At the time, the Secretary of State for Labour and Social Security, Pedro Filipe, made it understood that, the employee can terminate the employment relationship even if the contract is for an indefinite period, with the fulfilment of prior notice of 30 days.
Discussion in the specialty runs until May 10
Members of the 1st, 5th and 10th working committees are reviewing and collecting contributions and making adjustments to the bill since May 2 and are expected to conclude by 10 of May.
The document repeals the Law of 7/15 of June 15.
The draft law reinforces the harmony in labour relations between employee and employer, aiming, essentially, to reprise a set of rules that were repealed with Law No. 2/2000, of 11 February, in order to create greater balance in the defense of the interests of workers and employers.
It reintroduces the employment contract for an indefinite period as a rule regime, and unequivocally assumes the employment contract as the only form of constitution of legal-labour relations.
The draft redefines the special employment contracts, focusing on telework and the sports employment contract, as well as introduces greater flexibility in the organization and duration of work, with emphasis on the time regime of the student worker and the worker with family responsibilities (paternity leave).
The Bill also assumes the task of the social protection management entity to guarantee the payment of sickness or accident allowances of workers who fall under the incapacity regime.
It also clarifies the reasons for the unlawfulness of the dismissals and their consequences, as well as the reconfiguration of the criterion for determining compensation.
With the amendment of the section dedicated specifically to working women, gender equality and non-discrimination are enshrined, with the introduction of supplementary maternity leave and social protection from dismissal for objective reasons.
Also noteworthy in the proposal is the personality rights, especially freedom of expression and opinion, physical and moral integrity, reservation of the intimacy of private life and protection of personal data.
The Draft General Labour Law is systematized in 326 articles, 11 chapters and 46 sections.
