VOLUNTARY SEVERANCE PACKAGE FOR EDUCATORS

Issued by: Ministry of Education

No change to the voluntary severance package for educators, agreed to in the Education Labour Relations Council (ELRC), is being planned, said Minister Sibusiso Bengu.

It is alleged by NAPTOSA that the Minister has changed the State's position regarding the voluntary severance package. The Minister denies that he alluded to any change and says that a misunderstanding must exist.

The agreement reached in the ELRC includes, INTER ALIA, the following provisions:

• The objective of the voluntary severance package is "To provide a mechanism which will facilitate the redeployment of educators in order to attain equity in the provision of personnel"
• Voluntary terminations of service will be effected in terms of the provisions in the Educators' Employment Act, providing that "An educator may ... be discharged by the employer ... if for reasons other than his or her incompetence or incapacity, his or her discharge will promote efficiency or economy..."
• "Any educator may volunteer for a severance package in order to create room for the absorption of educators who are in excess and to afford educators who prefer to leave the service the opportunity to do so"
• If the employer does not approve a voluntary severance package, an automatic appeal for a final decision by the relevant Member of the Executive Council is provided for.
• Individual REQUESTS must be in a prescribed form in writing.

Minister Bengu was aware that rumours were spread that it was obligatory for the employer to grant the package to anyone who requests it.

It is incomprehensible that any responsible person could imagine that the Government would allow an uncontrolled drainage of expertise from education and unjustified expenditure in this regard.

What the Minister did, was to draw the attention of teachers' organisations and unions to what was agreed upon in the ELRC.

According to the agreement, the voluntary severance package must "... facilitate the redeployment of educators..." The severance package can only be granted if there is a reasonable expectation that it would assist redeployment. The processes of voluntary severance and redeployment will unfold in parallel, with the severance package possibly commencing a bit before the other process is fully in place. This is necessary to commence the process of creating room for redeployment.

There is no truth in the rumour that only educators identified for redeployment may take the voluntary severance package. The employer will have to decide in every case whether the voluntary severance of educators before they are identified for redeployment or even if not identified for redeployment, could possibly assist the process of redeployment.

The cost of the voluntary severance package for the education departments can only be determined after the process has taken its course. The Minister has committed him to find funds for this purpose if, after departmental funding initiatives and savings have been taken into account, further funds are needed. This only applies to those departments where the budgets have been decreased to effect equity. The Minister will not be able to intercede in this regard for expenditure that cannot be justified as assisting redeployment.

The Minister has expressed his concern about the irresponsible way in which this matter is being dealt with. It smacks of a total disregard for the feelings of educators at this very sensitive stage and of misusing educators for ulterior purposes.

Educators are requested to await the final official communications with regard to the agreements that have been concluded and those still under consideration.

Enquiries: Mr Lincoln Mali (021) 457350 0832514044 June 13 1996