DECISION ON EARLY RETIREMENT WITHOUT PENALISATION THUS REJECTING KZN DOE HRM CIRCULAR NO. 6 OF 2026 –
The South African Democratic Teachers’ Union in KwaZulu Natal is dismayed by the circular released by the KZN Department of Education (KZNDOE) regarding its inability to comply with the South African Cabinet’s decision on early retirement without penalties.
Firstly, it must be noted that government employees including those employed by the KZNDOE were invited by the Government itself to consider taking early retirement. Through this initiative, the Government introduces Early Retirement Programme without penalisation of pension benefits and the Voluntary Exit Programme. As a result of this initiative being made public and employees being urged to consider it, many submitted their applications.
It is therefore shocking to learn that the Head of Department, Mr G. N. Ngcobo has unilaterally decided that KZN DOE employees will be excluded from the initiative. It is a unilateral decision because there has been no engagement or consultation with employees or their union. Even the circular is not addressed to unions but to people who have nothing to do with the applications that employees made to him. This demonstrates disrespect and undermines the principles of Collective Bargaining by the KZN DOE.
SADTU KZN regards HRM Circular No. 3 of 2026 as one of the indicators of a department of education that is collapsing, and it must not affect employees. Whatever challenges the department may have should have been raised with the Government so that they could be assisted to fulfil the commitment made to employees. At present, there is nothing convincing in the reasons stated in the Circular to justify the non-approval of the applications made by employees. For any proper assessment to be made to determine scarce or critical skills, there is no way that the department could have conducted such an analysis without engaging with employees and/or their unions.
SADTU rejects HRM Circular 6 of 2026 with the contempt it deserves and calls on the Head of Department, Mr Ngcobo to convene an urgent meeting so that, as a union, SADTU can be given a platform to engage on this matter with the intention of advancing the views and interests of employees, as well as the government/Cabinet that introduced the initiative.
Should the Department fail to reconsider its position on the matter, SADTU will raise the matter with the Public Service Coordinating Bargaining Council (PSCBC) and the Education Labour Relations Council (ELRC).
ISSUED BY KZN SADTU SECRETARIAT