Prime Minister Sitiveni Rabuka has tasked Minister for Education Aseri Radrodro with convening a meeting of the University of the South Pacific (USP) Council to address the claims made by the USP staff unions. In a statement on his social media, Rabuka mentioned that both the Association of USP Staff and the USP Staff Union are following the procedures for a strike as outlined in the Employment Relations Act 2007.
As the fifth day of the USP unions’ strike concludes without a resolution, the Prime Minister noted that all student support services at the USP Laucala Campus are functioning normally, thanks to non-striking staff and some union members who have opted not to participate in the strike.
Earlier, Leader of the Opposition Inia Seruiratu urged the government to take strong action to resolve the conflict between USP and the staff unions. He emphasized that the government must not remain passive while the future of students and the region is at stake. Seruiratu called for the immediate suspension of Vice-Chancellor and USP President Professor Pal Ahluwalia to facilitate an investigation into the unions’ demands. He expressed concern over the timing of the strike, which coincides with the student assessment period at USP.