All employees who are dismissed due to operational requirements and whom are entitled to severance pay will be paid Severance Pay of 1.4 weeks basic pay per year of continuous service, subject to permanent employees with more than 6 (six) months' continuous service whom will be paid Severance Pay of 1.4 weeks basic pay per year of continuous service with a pro-rata severance payment for any part years' service. During a retrenchment process in a company a union recognised as a collective bargaining agent may enter into ad hoc negotiations with the respective employer at plant level to improve the severance payments of its members.