Prime Minister Sitiveni Rabuka has confirmed that members of the University of the South Pacific (USP) staff unions participating in the strike have followed all necessary procedures.
This statement represents the first official response from the government following the University Staff and Support Staff Union (USPU) and the Association of USP Staff (AUSPS) strike that began last Friday.
So far, the USP, along with Minister for Education Aseri Radrodro and Minister for Employment, Productivity and Industrial Relations Agni Deo Singh, has not commented on the ongoing situation at the Laucala Campus.
Rabuka revealed that he has given authorization for Minister Radrodro to convene a meeting of the USP Council.
“The USP Staff union is in compliance with the provisions and procedures for a strike as outlined in the Employment Relations Act 2007,” Rabuka stated.
He also noted that student support services at USP’s Laucala Campus are functioning normally, with staff members who are not part of the unions, as well as some who are union members and have opted not to strike, continuing their work.
Furthermore, Rabuka has tasked the Minister for Education with organizing a meeting of the USP Council to discuss the claims presented by the USP Staff unions.
Last Thursday, Agnes Kotoisuva, USP’s executive director for People’s and Workplace Strategy, hinted in a staff communication about the university’s potential plans to pursue legal action regarding decisions made by the Permanent Secretary of Employment, Productivity and Workplace Relations.
The grievances raised by the two unions stem from the outcomes of a recent Special Council meeting, which they argued addressed only human resources issues and not the concerns regarding perceived poor leadership of Vice-Chancellor Pal.
Additionally, the unions are troubled by issues related to the university’s leadership hierarchy and the alleged wrongful termination of USP biologist Professor Tamara Osborne-Naikatini in July.