Three Cabinet Ministers are scheduled to hold a special meeting next week to address issues at the University of the South Pacific’s Laucala Bay Campus. Minister for Education Aseri Radrodro, currently on a ministerial tour of the Lau Group, expressed his plans for the meeting.
The University Staff and Support Staff Union (USPU) and the Association of USP Staff (AUSPS) secured a mandate on Wednesday for a strike aimed at removing the university’s Vice-Chancellor and president, Professor Pal Ahluwalia. A secret ballot conducted by the Ministry of Employment, Productivity, and Industrial Relations indicated that over 90 percent of the union’s members voted in favor of dismissing Professor Ahluwalia, with more than 550 individuals registered as members.
The unions have raised concerns regarding Professor Ahluwalia’s governance, particularly in relation to staff welfare.
The upcoming meeting will also involve Minister for Employment, Productivity, and Industrial Relations Agni Deo Singh, and Minister for Finance Biman Prasad, alongside Mr. Radrodro. “I have requested the permanent secretary to organize the agenda for the meeting,” Mr. Radrodro stated. “Upon my return to Suva next week, we’ll convene a meeting with the three Ministers to discuss the situation at USP.”