Despite receiving approval for a secret ballot aimed at the removal of Professor Pal Ahluwalia, the Vice Chancellor and President of the University of the South Pacific (USP), from two staff unions in Fiji, he and the USP Management are committed to prioritizing the welfare of students and the needs of member countries.
The President of the USP Student Association, Christopher Siliva, expressed strong support for the Vice-Chancellor, highlighting his continual efforts to improve education and research at the university. Siliva stated that the Student Association has maintained regular communication with the management regarding these developments. He emphasized that the welfare of students remains their central concern and that they are working with management to prepare for any potential strike actions by the staff unions to mitigate disruptions.
USP acknowledged the announcement of the secret ballot and reminded that the Vice-Chancellor is appointed by the USP Council, which represents all 12 member countries. In its 96th meeting held in November of the previous year, the Council reaffirmed its backing for the Vice-Chancellor and extended his contract for another two years. Ahluwalia has recently returned to the university to fulfill his responsibilities.
While recognizing the unions’ right to take these actions under Fiji’s Employment Relations Act, USP pointed out that the membership of the two involved unions represents only 41% of its total staff of over 1,300 across 12 countries. According to unofficial counts, the supporters of the motion account for 25% of Academic and Professional Staff and 28% of Administrative and Support Staff.
Despite these union actions, USP management remains dedicated to engaging in constructive dialogue to address legitimate staff concerns in line with council procedures and local employment laws. The university is confident that it will successfully counter the claims made by the unions, which it considers misleading and inaccurate, adhering to the necessary legal frameworks.