Three Cabinet Ministers are set to hold a crucial meeting next week to address the ongoing situation at the University of the South Pacific (USP) Laucala Bay Campus. Minister for Education Aseri Radrodro, currently on a ministerial tour of the Lau Group, announced his plans for this meeting to the media.
Recently, the University Staff and Support Staff Union (USPU) and the Association of USP Staff (AUSPS) secured a mandate for a strike, aimed at the removal of Professor Pal Ahluwalia, the university’s Vice-Chancellor and president. A secret ballot conducted by the Ministry of Employment, Productivity, and Industrial Relations revealed that over 90 percent of union members supported his dismissal, with more than 550 individuals now signed up as members of the unions.
Concerns have been raised about Professor Ahluwalia’s governance regarding staff welfare, motivating the unions to take this stance.
The meeting will include Minister for Employment, Productivity, and Industrial Relations Agni Deo Singh and Minister for Finance Biman Prasad, alongside Radrodro. “I have asked the permanent secretary to prepare the agenda for the meeting,” Mr. Radrodro stated. “Upon my return to Suva next week, we will convene to discuss the current situation at USP.”