Around 200 staff members and students at the University of the South Pacific (USP) initiated a work stoppage yesterday, signaling their readiness to embark on a six-month strike to voice their discontent with Vice Chancellor Pal Ahluwalia’s leadership. This protest, organized by the university’s staff union, emerged following a series of unresolved issues related to human resources and administrative governance.
Reuben Colata, general secretary of the University of the South Pacific Staff Union (USPSU), explained that the decision to strike stemmed from dissatisfaction with the results of a recent ballot and subsequent government intervention, which did not align with the staff’s expectations. “The unions were dissatisfied with the outcome that was released to staff,” Colata remarked. He clarified that the issues at hand were primarily related to human resources rather than the vice-chancellor specifically.
After receiving a mandate, the union held a joint meeting where a majority voiced their support for a strike, which Colata emphasized was a legal exercise of workers’ rights. He stated, “As you can see, the placards here say everything. The biggest problem here is the leadership of the university,” highlighting concerns over declining student enrollment attributed to USP’s struggle to compete with newer institutions such as the University of Fiji and Fiji National University.
In response to the situation, the USP Student Association (USPSA), led by Student Council Chair Christopher Siliva, cautioned students to focus on their education amid the ongoing dispute. “The USPSA is deeply concerned by the misinformation which has caused some of our members wanting to join this strike based on incorrect and exaggerated claims,” Siliva said, noting that the student body as a whole remains separate from the strike organizers.
Additionally, USP assured Laucala Campus students through a mass email that all classes, tutorials, and academic activities would proceed as planned unless otherwise communicated by course coordinators.