Ilima Finiasi, a representative from the University of the South Pacific (USP) Staff Association, has stated that Vice-Chancellor and President Professor Pal Ahluwalia should resign, as campuses throughout the region are expressing similar sentiments. Finiasi mentioned that they are in regular communication with other unions across the region, and they all echo this demand.
He emphasized that the concerns surrounding Vice-Chancellor Professor Ahluwalia are not limited to the Laucala Campus; they are a regional issue. In response, the University acknowledged that it employs over 1,300 staff members across 12 countries, and the two unions involved represent only 41 percent of the total workforce.
According to the university, unofficial voting figures indicate that 25 percent of Academic and Professional Staff and 28 percent of Administrative Support Staff supported the call for a strike. “The University respects that this action on the part of the two unions concerned is being undertaken under the provisions laid out in Fiji’s Employment Relations Act,” the statement noted.
On Wednesday, a four-hour secret ballot at the Laucala campus concluded with an overwhelming 95 percent of USP staff in Fiji backing the strike. The Association of USP Staff (AUSPS), representing academic and research personnel, reported a 61 percent turnout, with 96 percent voting in favor of the strike. Similarly, the University Staff and Support Staff Union (USPSU), which includes administrative and support staff, showed strong support with over 70 percent turnout and 94 percent in favor.
The vote was triggered by ongoing grievances regarding Professor Ahluwalia’s leadership, including significant governance concerns and the recent dismissal of AUSPS President Dr. Tamara Osborne-Naikatini, which AUSPS General Secretary Rosalia Fatiaki labeled as the final straw. Staff from USP locations in Laucala, Lautoka, Labasa, and Savusavu participated in the vote.
Additionally, Professor Ahluwalia’s contract was recently extended for two more years, set to expire in 2026.