The Shadow Minister for Education, Hem Chand, is urging the Coalition Government to address the ongoing issues at the University of the South Pacific (USP) by organizing a special meeting as soon as possible. Chand expressed concern that unresolved issues could lead to strike actions by staff unions, which would disrupt students’ learning and negatively impact the quality of education offered at the university.
For the past few months, staff unions at USP have been in conflict with the university’s management. Media reports of recent secret ballot results indicate a significant level of dissatisfaction among staff regarding the institution’s leadership. Chand highlighted that around 70 percent of the university’s workforce consists of Fijians, and emphasized the importance of addressing their welfare given that the Fijian government is the largest grant provider.
He called on the Fijian government to advocate for the well-being and concerns of local staff to be presented to the USP council via their representatives. According to Chand, the welfare of students and staff, along with the needs of the member countries, should be the university’s top priority.
Chand underscored that the main focus of the university should be on improving the quality of education and research at USP. He also noted that the Minister for Education confirmed in parliament last week that the Coalition Government is aware of the staff’s concerns, which include numerous issues, such as the termination of staff members.