Prime Minister Sitiveni Rabuka has stated that members of the University of the South Pacific (USP) staff unions involved in the current strike have adhered to all required protocols. This announcement represents the first official response from the government following the strike initiated by the University Staff and Support Staff Union (USPU) and the Association of USP Staff (AUSPS), which began last Friday.
The USP administration, along with Minister for Education Aseri Radrodro and Minister for Employment, Productivity, and Industrial Relations Agni Deo Singh, has not commented on the ongoing strike at the Laucala Campus.
In an interview, Mr. Rabuka confirmed that he has instructed Mr. Radrodro to organize a meeting of the USP Council. He emphasized, “The USP Staff union is in compliance with the provisions and procedures for a strike as outlined in the Employment Relations Act 2007.”
He added that all student support services at the USP Laucala Campus are functioning normally, maintained by staff members who are not part of the union as well as those union members who opted to remain at work.
Furthermore, Mr. Rabuka has empowered the Minister for Education to convene a meeting of the USP Council to review the demands put forth by the USP Staff unions.
Previously, on Thursday, Agnes Kotoisuva, USP’s executive director for People’s and Workplace Strategy, indicated in a staff email that the university was considering legal action concerning the decisions made by the Permanent Secretary of Employment, Productivity, and Workplace Relations.
The unions’ concerns arose following a recent Special Council meeting that they believe focused only on human resources issues, which did not adequately address their complaints regarding the university’s leadership, particularly those related to Vice-Chancellor Pal. Additionally, they expressed worries over the leadership structure at the university and the controversial dismissal of USP biologist Professor Tamara Osborne-Naikatini in July.