Three Cabinet Ministers are set to hold a special meeting next week regarding the ongoing situation 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 his plans for the meeting to the press.
The University Staff and Support Staff Union (USPU) and the Association of USP Staff (AUSPS) recently secured a mandate for a strike aimed at the removal of the university’s Vice-Chancellor and President, Professor Pal Ahluwalia. A secret ballot conducted by the Ministry of Employment, Productivity, and Industrial Relations revealed that over 90 percent of the union members supported Professor Ahluwalia’s dismissal, with more than 550 individuals now part of the unions. The unions have raised concerns about Professor Ahluwalia’s governance, particularly regarding staff welfare.
The meeting will include Minister for Employment, Productivity and Industrial Relations Agni Deo Singh and Minister for Finance Biman Prasad, alongside Minister Radrodro. “I have asked the permanent secretary to prepare the agenda for the meeting,” Mr. Radrodro stated. “When I return to Suva next week, we will convene to discuss the situation at USP.”