Prime Minister Sitiveni Rabuka has acknowledged that the striking members of the University of the South Pacific (USP) staff unions have followed all required procedures for their walkout. This is the first statement from the government following the strike initiated by the University Staff and Support Staff Union (USPU) and the Association of USP Staff (AUSPS) last Friday.
Despite the ongoing strike at the Laucala Campus, education officials, including Minister for Education Aseri Radrodro and Minister for Employment, Productivity and Industrial Relations Agni Deo Singh, have not released any comments.
In a recent statement, Mr. Rabuka confirmed that he has given Mr. Radrodro the authority to convene a meeting of the USP Council. He stated, “The USP Staff union is in compliance with the provisions and procedures for a strike as set out in the Employment Relations Act 2007.”
He also noted that essential student support services on the Laucala Campus continue to function normally, provided by staff who are either not part of the union or union members who opted not to participate in the strike.
Furthermore, Mr. Rabuka has empowered the Minister for Education to call a meeting of the USP Council to discuss the unions’ claims.
In a staff email last Thursday, Agnes Kotoisuva, executive director for People’s and Workplace Strategy at USP, hinted at the university’s potential legal action regarding the Permanent Secretary of Employment, Productivity and Workplace Relations’ decisions.
The unions’ concerns primarily arise from the results of a recent Special Council meeting, which they argue focused only on human resources issues and failed to adequately address the poor leadership of Vice-Chancellor Pal. They have also raised issues about inadequate leadership hierarchy within the university and the alleged wrongful termination of USP biologist Professor Tamara Osborne-Naikatini in July.