Labor law in Angola

The LGT is Lei n.º 12/23, published on 27 December 2023 and effective since 26 March 2024. Constitutional rules, ratified ILO conventions, regulations, collective agreements, employment contracts and established practice also affect the employment relationship, with mandatory higher-ranking rules and more favourable worker provisions taking precedence where applicable. The system covers dependent work performed for private, state, mixed, cooperative, social, international and diplomatic employers. Direct public administration and autarquias fall outside this scope, as do senior functions performed without subordination. Angola has one national labour-law framework; no separate provincial or city rule is established for this subject. The Ministry of Public Administration, Labour and Social Security, known as MAPTSS, oversees labour and social-security policy. The Inspecção Geral do Trabalho, or IGT, provides information and advice, conducts inspections, handles mediation, supervises occupational health and safety and accident insurance, approves certain arrangements and initiates sanctions. The INSS registers workers and employers, collects social-security contributions and administers related benefits. The Sala do Trabalho of the competent court decides individual and collective labour disputes, workplace-accident cases, appeals against IGT measures and enforcement matters. An employment contract can generally be concluded without a special form, but special and fixed-term contracts require writing. A written contract should identify the parties and addresses, classification or category, workplace, weekly hours, pay and payment frequency, benefits in kind, start date, duration, place and date of signing, and the signatures. If a special or fixed-term contract is not written, the relationship is presumed to be indefinite because of the employer’s fault. Probation normally lasts 60 days for an indefinite contract, may be extended in writing to 120 days, and can reach 180 days for management; a fixed-term contract may have a written probation period of up to 30 days. During probation, either side may end the relationship without notice, compensation or a stated reason. Fixed-term work is limited to legally defined reasons. Maximum periods are generally 6 months for seasonal or urgent work, 12 months for temporary, occasional or limited work, 36 months for replacement, construction or training, and 60 months for establishment, restructuring or expansion, with an IGT-approved extension of up to 24 months in special cases. Continued work after the permitted term or defects in the arrangement can convert the relationship into an indefinite one, and non-renewal generally requires 30 days’ notice. Angola also recognises specific arrangements for apprenticeships, internships, telework, temporary agency work, domestic work, non-resident foreign workers, rural work and home-based work. Normal working time is limited to 44 hours per week and 8 hours per day. Special schedules can reach 54 hours per week or 9 to 10 hours per day. Employers should display schedules at least 15 days in advance, provide a 45-to-90-minute break, a daily rest period of at least 10 hours and 24 hours of weekly rest, normally on Sunday, with no more than six consecutive working days. Night work runs from 20:00 to 06:00 and is limited to 8 hours per day; it carries a 20% supplement on basic pay and requires free medical examinations before work and annually. Shift work also carries a 20% supplement. Overtime requires an employer’s instruction and is normally limited to 2 hours per day, 40 hours per month and 200 hours per year. Exceeding those limits requires IGT authorisation or the worker’s consent, as applicable. Employers must record start and end times and obtain the required visa immediately or within 72 hours. Overtime attracts a 50% supplement up to 30 hours per month and 75% for additional hours. Sunday work attracts 75% plus compensatory rest, while work on a public holiday attracts one day’s pay plus compensatory rest within three days. Part-time work is generally limited to 5 hours per day, or 4 hours for night work. Workers caring for a child under five, or dealing with disability or chronic illness, can request flexible arrangements 30 days in advance; the employer should answer within 20 days. Pay includes basic salary and regular allowances. Payment may be monthly, half-monthly or weekly and should be made by the last working day of the relevant period. The pay statement should identify the employer, worker, INSS number, period, pay items, deductions and net amount. Lawful, court-ordered or authorised deductions are permitted, but credit and advance deductions together are generally capped at 25% of net pay; maintenance obligations can reach 50%, while the minimum wage is protected from attachment. Equal pay applies to work of equal or equivalent complexity, including between women and men. The holiday bonus and Christmas bonus each amount to at least 50% of basic pay and are proportional when the full qualifying period is incomplete. As of 5 September 2026, Presidential Decree 152/24 sets the general national minimum wage at Kz 100,000 and the rate for micro-enterprises and start-ups at Kz 50,000. A collective agreement may provide a higher amount, and an approved transitional exception may last up to 24 months. At termination, outstanding pay and compensation are due within three days, subject to the applicable priority and limitation rules. Workers have rights to dignity, employment stability, suitable work, rest and leave, timely pay, training, safe and hygienic conditions, complaint and appeal procedures and INSS registration. They must perform work carefully, attend reliably, follow lawful instructions, respect others, use protective equipment, preserve confidentiality, act loyally, follow safety rules and participate in required training. Employers must provide pay and safe conditions, give instructions and protective equipment, provide first aid, report and investigate accidents, maintain insurance and complete INSS obligations. Occupational-health rules include medical examinations, risk assessment and compensation for work accidents and occupational diseases. Employer insurance is required for workers, apprentices and interns, and the employer remains directly liable if the required insurance is absent. Angolan law protects trade-union freedom, including joining, refusing to join, leaving and participating in union activity, subject mainly to restrictions affecting the police and armed forces. Collective bargaining is available under Lei 20-A/92, especially in enterprises with more than 20 workers; where no union exists, workers can form an ad hoc committee through a workers’ assembly. Collective agreements may improve statutory terms and establish sectoral wage floors. Strikes are voluntary and workers may not be disadvantaged for lawful participation, while lockouts are prohibited. Restrictions apply to the military, police, judicial and sovereign functions, prisons, firefighters and essential services. Union representatives receive special protection. The Código de Processo do Trabalho, or CPT, is Lei n.º 2/24, published on 19 March 2024 and effective since 18 April 2024. It emphasises conciliation, material truth, simple procedure and court-led evidence, and legal representation is regularly required. Workers’ and family claims are free of court fees and stamps. The labour courts hear disputes about contracts, performance, changes, suspension, termination, discipline, collective action, occupational accidents, occupational diseases, social-security violations, IGT appeals and enforcement. IGT mediation and inspection can precede a case, but the court issues the binding decision. Pregnancy and parenthood receive additional protection. Women have equal-pay rights, maternity protection, restrictions on night work, overtime and transfers, two 30-minute breastfeeding breaks, and three months of maternity leave, which may begin up to four weeks before the expected birth. Multiple births add four weeks, and supplementary unpaid leave can reach four weeks. Dismissal protection covers pregnancy and the 12 months after birth. Under Presidential Decree 95/26, the INSS maternity benefit requires 12 contribution months in the preceding 36 months and equals three times the average wage from the last 12 declared months; the employer pays within 30 days and seeks reimbursement. Workers with reduced capacity may receive workplace adaptation or part-time work and may be excluded from night and overtime regimes. Workers aged 14 to 17 need legal-representative consent and Centro de Emprego involvement, may perform only permitted light work, require medical examination before starting and annually, and receive additional protection against night and excessive work. Domestic work follows a special regime using the caderneta do trabalhador de serviço doméstico and INSS registration and contributions. The 2026 MAPTSS consultation on a new social-protection basis and debt code is only a draft and is not current law. Current versions of the LGT, presidential decrees, collective agreements and IGT and INSS practice should be checked when a specific right, deadline, payment, registration or procedure is at issue.