Three Cabinet Ministers are set to convene today to discuss plans for a special meeting involving the Government and the University of the South Pacific (USP). Minister for Education Aseri Radrodro confirmed that he has informed Prime Minister Sitiveni Rabuka of the ministry’s goal to host this meeting, which will include Minister for Finance Biman Prasad and Minister for Employment, Productivity and Industrial Relations Agni Deo Singh.
Radrodro stated, “This will be a discussion point on the agenda, urging the USP Secretary to call for a special meeting.” He noted that the next scheduled meeting of the USP Council will take place around October or November, and the trio of ministers intends to meet early next week.
In related news, the Opposition has called on the Government to quickly address the internal conflict between staff unions and USP’s Vice-Chancellor and President, Professor Pal Ahluwalia. The University Staff and Support Staff Union (USPU) and the Association of USP Staff (AUSPS) recently voted to authorize a strike aimed at removing Professor Ahluwalia, with over 90 percent of union members supporting the action.
Shadow Minister for Education Hem Chand indicated that the unions have been in conflict with management for several months. “The secret ballot results indicated a significant level of dissatisfaction among staff with the leadership of the institution,” he remarked. Chand emphasized that the majority of the university’s workforce consists of Fijians, who contribute substantially to funding.
He urged the Fijian Government to prioritize the welfare and concerns of local staff during discussions in the USP Council. Chand expressed the importance of enhancing the quality of education and research at USP, reiterating that the Minister for Education acknowledged these concerns in Parliament. He warned that failure to resolve the issues could lead to interruptions in students’ learning due to potential strike actions from the unions.