Three Cabinet Ministers are set to hold a special meeting next week to address the issues arising at the University of the South Pacific’s Laucala Bay Campus. Aseri Radrodro, the Minister for Education, shared this intention during his ongoing tour of the Lau Group.
The University Staff and Support Staff Union (USPU) along with the Association of USP Staff (AUSPS) received a mandate for a strike following a vote on Wednesday, with members overwhelmingly supporting the dismissal of the university’s Vice-Chancellor and President, Professor Pal Ahluwalia. More than 90 percent of union members backed this decision in a secret ballot supervised by the Ministry of Employment, Productivity, and Industrial Relations, with membership exceeding 550 individuals. The unions claim that Professor Ahluwalia has demonstrated poor governance, particularly regarding staff welfare.
The meeting will include Agni Deo Singh, the Minister for Employment, Productivity and Industrial Relations, and Biman Prasad, the Minister for Finance, alongside Radrodro. “I have asked the permanent secretary to prepare the agenda for our discussions,” Radrodro stated, adding that a meeting will take place upon his return to Suva next week to delve into the ongoing situation at USP.