Prime Minister Sitiveni Rabuka has stated that staff members of the University of the South Pacific (USP) unions participating in the strike have adhered to all necessary protocols. This represents the government’s first official response since the University Staff and Support Staff Union (USPU) and the Association of USP Staff (AUSPS) began their strike last Friday.
To date, the USP, Minister for Education Aseri Radrodro, and Minister for Employment, Productivity and Industrial Relations, Agni Deo Singh, have not commented on the situation at the Laucala Campus.
Rabuka announced that he has authorized Minister Radrodro to convene a meeting of the USP Council. He affirmed that the USP Staff Union is following the provisions outlined in the Employment Relations Act 2007 regarding strike actions. Additionally, all student support services at the Laucala Campus are reportedly functioning normally, supported by staff who are either not part of the union or union members who opted not to strike.
“I have also directed the Minister for Education to arrange a meeting of the USP Council to discuss the claims presented by the USP Staff unions,” Rabuka confirmed.
Last Thursday, Agnes Kotoisuva, the USP executive director for People’s and Workplace Strategy, hinted in a staff email that the university is considering “appropriate legal action” against decisions made by the Permanent Secretary of Employment, Productivity, and Workplace Relations.
The unions’ grievances originate from a recent Special Council meeting’s outcome, which they believe mainly focused on human resources issues without adequately addressing concerns regarding the leadership of Vice-Chancellor Pal. They are also voicing concerns about the university’s leadership structure and the controversial dismissal of USP biologist Professor Tamara Osborne-Naikatini in July.