Speaking Notes for the Deputy Minister Jomo Sibiya on the Occasion of the 2026 CCMA Annual Labour Conference.

ACKNOWLEDGEMENT OF GUESTS

My profile is indeed a true reflection of who I am, where I come from, and the community that shaped me. I come from Nquthu in KwaZulu-Natal, a place I proudly call home.

Acknowledgement of Distinguished Guests

• The Chairperson of the CCMA Governing Body, Dr Cornelia September;
• Members of the CCMA Governing Body;
• Judge Portia Nkunta Nkontwana of the Labour Court and Labour Appeal Court;
• The Chairperson of the Essential Services Committee, Ms Grace Mafa-Chali, and members of the Committee;
• The CCMA Director, Mr Mpumelelo Nconco;
• The Acting Deputy Director-General of the Department of Employment and Labour, Mr Sipho Ndebele, together with senior officials of the Department present;
• Chief Executive Officers of entities of the Department of Employment and Labour;
• Representatives from ILO,
• Organised Labour, Business and Community,
• Invited CCMA stakeholders;
• Members of the CCMA Senior Management Team;
• CCMA Commissioners and staff present, as well as those joining via livestream;
• Ladies and gentlemen Goodmorning

It is both an honour and a privilege for me, as Deputy Minister of Employment and Labour, to address this Annual Labour Conference convened under the theme: "Three Decades of the CCMA and 31 Years of the Labour Relations Act: Advancing Fair Labour Practices, Social Dialogue and Access to Justice." I bring warm greetings and best wishes from the Ministry of Employment and Labour, and I wish to recognise the continued contribution of all social partners to the strengthening of our labour market institutions and our constitutional democracy.

This year also marks 30 years of South Africa's Constitution, a significant milestone that invites thoughtful reflection on our democratic journey and on the constitutional principles that continue to shape our society.

As we reflect on this important theme, it is appropriate to return to the foundations upon which the CCMA was established.

This commemoration is a moment of constitutional reflection and public accountability. The CCMA and the Labour Relations Act are among the enduring institutional achievements of South Africa's democratic transition. As the Department responsible for labour market policy and regulation, we regard these institutions as key to giving practical expression to the constitutional promise of fair labour practices, employment justice, freedom of association, collective bargaining and accessible dispute resolution.

This institutional journey is also inseparable from South Africa's reintegration into the international community and its renewed engagement with the International Labour Organisation. South Africa was a member of the ILO from 1919 to 1966 and resumed membership in 1994. The return to the ILO occurred at a decisive moment, when the democratic state was rebuilding labour law around international labour standards, tripartism, freedom of association, collective bargaining, equality, social justice and decent work. Therefore, the 1995 labour relations framework reflected a national constitutional settlement and South Africa's recommitment to the values of international labour standards and the decent work agenda.

Historical Foundations of Our Labour Relations Dispensation

In July 1994, shortly after the advent of our constitutional democracy, Cabinet approved the establishment of a Ministerial Task Team to review and reform the labour relations framework. That process culminated in the Labour Relations Act 66 of 1995, assented to by President Nelson Mandela on 29 November 1995 and brought into operation in November 1996. For government, the Act constituted a decisive break with the exclusionary and adversarial labour relations arrangements of the past. It replaced the Labour Relations Act 28 of 1956 framework, which had developed under apartheid and was marked by racial exclusion, excessive legalism, uneven access to justice and a dispute resolution architecture that was often remote from ordinary workers and small employers.

The previous Industrial Court played a critical role in the evolution of South African labour law by developing principles of fairness in employment relations. Despite this initiative, it remained situated within a more formal, legalistic, and court-centred system. For many workers and employers, especially those without resources or specialist legal assistance, the system was difficult to navigate.

The establishment of the CCMA represented a deliberate shift from a predominantly court-based model to a more accessible system of conciliation, mediation and arbitration.

The 1995 Labour Relations Act established the CCMA as an independent statutory institution entrusted with facilitating the resolution of labour disputes through conciliation, mediation and arbitration. When ten CCMA offices commenced operations on 11 November 1996, South Africa took a significant step toward placing labour justice within reach of ordinary workers and employers across the country. With this approach, the new system gave practical effect to the constitutional right to fair labour practices and aligned South Africa more closely with the ILO's emphasis on social dialogue, effective labour market governance and access to decent work.

The CCMA as an Instrument of Constitutional Justice

For purposes of this commemoration, it is important to ask what South Africa's labour relations realm might have looked like without the CCMA and the 1995 Labour Relations Act. Without these reforms, the protection of labour rights would have remained inaccessible to many who needed them most.

Workers in vulnerable sectors, persons in precarious employment, domestic workers, farm workers, migrant workers and low-income earners would have faced greater structural barriers in enforcing their rights and securing fair outcomes.

Employers, especially small and medium enterprises, would also have lacked a simple and affordable institutional mechanism for resolving disputes before they escalated into costly litigation or workplace conflict. A South Africa without the CCMA would likely have been a country in which dismissal disputes, unfair labour practice disputes and collective labour tensions would have been channelled more heavily into formal courts and expensive legal processes. This system would have deepened inequality in access to justice, prolonged disputes, weakened confidence in labour market institutions and placed greater strain on both employers and workers. It may also have undermined labour peace by leaving many workplace grievances unresolved, delayed or beyond the reach of ordinary people.

The CCMA altered that reality. It established a free, accessible, credible and comparatively informal forum through which disputes could be addressed expeditiously and fairly. It has, over time, become one of the most important post-apartheid access to justice institutions and a practical vehicle through which constitutional labour rights are realised.

Therefore, the replacement of the Industrial Court model with the CCMA was not simply an administrative reform. It was a democratic intervention. It signalled that access to labour justice should not depend on wealth, geographic location, legal sophistication or institutional power. It affirmed that a constitutional democracy must make rights real, practical and enforceable for workers and employers.

Institutional Impact and Public Value

The growth of the CCMA bears testimony to its public value. From ten offices at inception, the institution has expanded to twenty-five offices nationally. In its first year of operation in 1996, it recorded 62 927 case referrals. As at 31 August 2026, the CCMA received a cumulative total of 4 477 362 case referrals. Behind these numbers are workers whose grievances were heard, employers assisted to resolve conflict, workplaces stabilised, and labour market disputes addressed through lawful and fair processes.

The CCMA has also strengthened access through partnerships with institutions such as the Department of Employment and Labour, labour centres and the South African Local Government Association (SALGA).

Its investment in digital platforms, including the WhatsApp Chatbot and the E-Commissioner platform, reflects the imperative that public institutions must continuously adapt so that services remain accessible, efficient and responsive to the needs of the people.

Social Dialogue as a Democratic Imperative

One of the enduring lessons of our democratic labour relations dispensation is that labour peace, productivity and inclusive economic growth cannot be secured through unilateralism. As government, we remain committed to structured social dialogue among organised labour, organised business and broader social partners. In the face of unemployment, inequality, technological change and economic uncertainty, dialogue remains not a procedural formality, but a democratic necessity.

Our labour relations system is most effective when stakeholders engage one another in good faith, guided by the national interest and by the shared objective of building a fair, stable, productive and inclusive labour market. This spirit must define the next chapter of our collective work. It is consistent with the ILO understanding of social dialogue as negotiation, consultation and the exchange of information among governments, employers and workers' organisations on matters of common economic and social interest.

In our own context, institutions such as NEDLAC, bargaining councils and the CCMA remain essential pillars of that democratic architecture. They give organised constituencies a voice, create structured avenues for resolving disagreement, and promote stability in the labour market.

The Evolving World of Work

As we honour the achievements of the past, we must also prepare with urgency and purpose for the future. The world of work is being reshaped by digitalisation, artificial intelligence, automation, platform and gig work, remote and hybrid work, climate transition and demographic change. These developments require careful policy consideration in relation to employment status, algorithmic management, privacy, worker representation, social protection, skills development and the coverage of labour protections in non-standard forms of work.

Youth unemployment remains one of the most pressing national challenges of our time. Therefore, a credible future of work agenda must create pathways for young people through apprenticeships, learnerships, workplace-based learning, entrepreneurship, digital skills and stronger transitions between education and employment. This task requires coordinated action by employers, trade unions, government, universities, TVET colleges, SETAs and community-based institutions.

Labour Law Reform and Institutional Renewal

The 1995 Labour Relations Act must remain responsive to contemporary workplace realities while preserving the constitutional values of fairness, dignity and social justice. The ongoing national conversation on labour law reform reinforces the need to balance the protection of vulnerable workers, employment creation, economic competitiveness, labour market stability and the efficient resolution of disputes. For this reason, any reform process must be evidence-based, consultative and anchored in social dialogue.

The ILO's decent work agenda also reminds us that labour regulation must be more than a mechanism for managing disputes after they arise. It must contribute to productive employment, rights at work, social protection and social dialogue. These four pillars speak directly to South Africa's national priorities: tackling unemployment, reducing inequality, expanding protection for vulnerable workers, and building a labour market that supports both fairness and sustainable enterprise. Under the leadership of the Minister of Employment and Labour, the Department remains committed to providing policy leadership, strengthening enforcement, supporting labour market institutions and working collaboratively with the CCMA, NEDLAC, bargaining councils and all social partners.

A strong and independent CCMA requires sustainable resourcing, modern systems, capable governance and continued public confidence.

Priorities for the Next Decade

As we look at the next decade, our priorities must be clear. We must strengthen digital dispute resolution while ensuring that technology expands inclusion. We must deepen services for vulnerable and underserved workers, including domestic workers, farm workers, migrant workers, informal workers, platform workers and persons with disabilities. We must move with greater determination from dispute resolution to dispute prevention through advisory services, workplace education, early-warning interventions and sectoral dialogue.

We must deepen research partnerships so that policy and institutional responses are informed by evidence. Above all, we must ensure that labour law reform remains firmly anchored in constitutional values while remaining responsive to the changing realities of work. In the years ahead, success should be measured by the number of disputes resolved and the disputes prevented, the quality of workplace relationships strengthened, the confidence of the public sustained, and the extent to which every person can access labour justice with dignity.

Closing Reflection

Three decades ago, South Africa chose dialogue over division, inclusion over exclusion, and justice over privilege. Through the repeal of the old labour relations framework, the replacement of the Industrial Court-centred model with the CCMA, and the enactment of the Labour Relations Act of 1995, our democracy affirmed that labour rights must not remain aspirational; they must be accessible, enforceable and meaningful in the daily lives of workers and employers.

As Deputy Minister, I wish to reaffirm the commitment of the Ministry and the Department of Employment and Labour to working with the CCMA, NEDLAC, bargaining councils, organised labour, organised business and all stakeholders to advance fair labour practices, social dialogue, institutional integrity and access to justice. May this conference produce reflection, consensus and practical resolutions capable of strengthening the future of work in South Africa.

I thank yoU.​

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