| 1. |
As you are aware, provision has been made for the granting of a severance package to excess educators and public service personnel. In this regard you are referred to the Framework Agreement: Transformation and Restructuring of the Public Service (Resolution 7/2002). For the sake of completeness this circular must be read in conjunction with Circulars 0116/2002 and 0008/2003 of 19 September 2002 and 8 January 2003 respectively. (A copy of the Framework Agreement was sent out with Circular 0116/2002.) |
| 2. |
The conditions under which, and the measures according to which the severance package will be granted, will therefore be in accordance with the above-mentioned Framework Agreement.
NOTE
An educator or public service employee who has been granted the severance package may not be appointed to a post in a provincial education department or another state department in a permanent capacity within a year of termination of service. It is the prerogative of the Western Cape Education Department (WCED) to approve or reject an application for the severance package and consequently no excess educator or public service official has an unqualified right to a severance package.
|
| 2.1.1 |
|
Only educators who have already been officially classified as being in excess are taken into consideration for the severance package. |
| 2.1.2 |
|
The WCED will, however, consider the granting of the severance package to an educator who has been declared in excess during a previous rightsizing process but who, in the meantime, has been absorbed in a substantive post, in the event where the educator’s profile does not meet the curriculum requirements of the school (e.g. a music educator who now teaches other subjects/grades/phases). In such a case, the principal and the school governing body will have to indicate why and to which extent the educator’s profile does not meet the requirements of the curriculum of the school. |
| 2.1.3 |
|
The WCED will also be willing to consider the granting of the severance package to promotion post holders who have not been formally classified as in excess, but who are over and above the educator establishment of the school. These educators include, amongst others, those educators who were appointed to promotion posts granted to schools when the ELSEN posts were erroneously taken into account in determining the number of promotion posts to be allocated to the particular school. It must, however, be emphasised that it remains the prerogative of the WCED to approve or reject an application for the severance package. |
| 2.2.1 |
|
Applications for severance packages from ALL preprimary educators, with the exception of those from principals of public ordinary preprimary schools, will be approved and the posts vacated as a result of the granting of the packages will be abolished. |
| 2.2.2 |
|
In the place of an abolished post, the WCED will pay the prescribed subsidy in terms of the existing prescriptions governing such a subsidy. |
| 2.3 |
|
Within-quota educators in substantive posts (educators occupying posts within the approved establishment of the school) |
| 2.3.1 |
|
An application from an educator who is not in excess, but who wishes to leave the service of the WCED by means of the severance package will be considered only if he or she is able to exchange places with an educator in excess on the same post level at the same or another educational institution. |
| 2.3.2 |
|
A within-quota educator who wishes to apply for the severance package is responsible for finding a suitable excess educator with a view to an exchange. |
| 2.3.3 |
|
Exchanges take place in terms of the prescriptions in Circular 0074/2002. |
| 2.3.4 |
|
Principals and chairpersons of the governing bodies of both institutions must, after due consideration of the curricular needs of the institutions, recommend the exchange. The annexure concerned must be completed in full and signed by all role players. (See Annexure C: Exchange of Educators.) |
| 2.4 |
|
Principals
As a rule principals are never in excess. Hence only principals who have been declared in excess as a result of the closure of their schools may apply for the severance package. Please note that principals whose schools have been regraded and where the grading of the school differs from the rank of the principal, do not qualify for the granting of the severance package. |
| 2.5 |
|
Public service personnel
All excess public service staff qualify to leave the service with the severance package. The exchange of a staff member who is not in excess with a staff member who is in excess, in order to enable the staff member who is not in excess to leave the service with the severance package, will be considered on the merits of the case. In all such cases the relevant parties must give their written approval for the exchange. Annexure A must be used for this purpose.
|
| 3. |
Closing date for the receipt of applications
The closing date for the submission of applications is 23 May 2003. |
| 4. |
Date of termination of service
The last day of service will be as determined by the WCED. |
| 5. |
Benefits of the severance package
The benefits payable to persons who leave the service with a severance package are in accordance with the various annexures attached to the Framework Agreement. |
| 6. |
Procedure for the submission of applications for the severance package
All applications for the severance package must be recommended by the principal and the governing body and, in the case of educators, must be addressed to
Head: Education
Retirement Section (Educators)
Private Bag X9114
Cape Town
8000
In the case of public service personnel applications must be addressed to
Head: Education
Retirement Section (Public Service Personnel)
Private Bag X9114
Cape Town
8000 |
| 7. |
Quotations
Applications for quotations must be submitted on Annexure D.
|
| 8. |
The following documents, which will only be made available to educators who qualifiy to be considered for the granting of the severance package on request, must accompany the application for the severance package: |
| 8.1 |
|
Application for the severance package - excess employee (Annexure B) |
| 8.3 |
|
Written confirmation by the employee’s banking institution that the Government Housing Guarantee has been released. (Annexure E) |
| 8.4 |
|
Confirmation of the employee’s tax number (Annexure F)
NOTE: It is our experience that not all employees are registered taxpayers. This delays the payment of benefits. Employees who apply for the severance package must therefore ensure that they are registered taxpayers. |
| 8.5 |
|
Certified copy of identity document (required by the Department of Finance: Pension Administration, Pretoria for the payment of pension benefits) |
| 8.6 |
|
WP89 form1 (payment of pension benefits) |
| 8.7 |
|
Z583 form1 (application for continued membership of medical fund) |
| 8.8 |
|
Z894 form1 (for completion by the employee’s bank/building society) |
| |
1 NOTE: The forms you need to finalise the severance package will be sent to you as soon as
your application has been approved. |
| 9. |
Heads of institutions and directorates must please submit all applications to the WCED without delay. |
| 10. |
The authority for the approval/non-approval of the severance package is vested in the HEAD OF EDUCATION. |
| 11. |
Please also note the stipulation of the Framework Agreement, according to which excess personnel who do not apply for vacant posts or co-operate in the redeployment process are at risk of being dismissed from the service. |
| 12. |
Please bring the contents of this circular to the attention of all staff members and the governance structure of the institutions and directorates. |
| 13. |
Your co-operation will be greatly appreciated. |
SIGNED: J.H. HURTER
HEAD: EDUCATION
DATE: 2003:04:16
|