Three Cabinet Ministers are set to hold a special meeting next week to address issues at the University of the South Pacific (USP) Laucala Bay Campus. Minister for Education Aseri Radrodro, currently on a tour of the Lau Group, announced the meeting’s intention to the media.
The University Staff and Support Staff Union (USPU), along with the Association of USP Staff (AUSPS), received a mandate on Wednesday to go on strike, seeking the removal of Vice-Chancellor and President, Professor Pal Ahluwalia. A secret ballot conducted by the Ministry of Employment, Productivity, and Industrial Relations showed that over 90 percent of union members favored dismissing Professor Ahluwalia.
More than 550 individuals are currently members of these unions, which have raised concerns about Professor Ahluwalia’s governance and its impact on staff welfare.
In this upcoming meeting, Minister for Employment, Productivity and Industrial Relations Agni Deo Singh and Minister for Finance Biman Prasad will join Minister Radrodro. “I have instructed the permanent secretary to prepare the agenda for the meeting,” Radrodro stated. “Upon returning to Suva next week, we will convene with the three Ministers to discuss the situation at USP.”