The Association of USP Staff and the USP Staff Union have announced that an overwhelming majority of 95 percent voted in favor of a strike aimed at the removal of Vice Chancellor and President Professor Pal Ahluwalia.
The unions conducted a secret ballot at various campuses across Fiji after obtaining the necessary approval from the Ministry of Employment for the ‘Notice of Intention to Conduct Secret Ballot for Strike Action’ the day before.
The unions are set to convene later this week to determine their next steps and schedule the strike date.
The AUSPS claims that Professor Ahluwalia unjustly terminated Dr. Tamara Osborne-Naikatini, the president of the Association.
For the strike to move forward, the unions required at least 50 percent support from their membership. AUSPS General Secretary Rosalia Fatiaki criticized the Vice-Chancellor’s decision to dismiss the association president as unfair and lacking due process.
“We have addressed our concerns in a letter to the Council, which is the ultimate decision-making body of the University,” Fatiaki stated.
USPSU President Reuben Colata expressed that the increasing workload and staff departures are adversely affecting both teaching and learning within the university. He remarked, “The staff is not satisfied with the current direction the leadership is taking, and we have observed a decline in the university’s stability over recent years.”
This marks the first instance in the university’s history that staff union members have initiated two strike actions within a six-month period.