Prime Minister Sitiveni Rabuka has stated that the members of the University of the South Pacific (USP) staff unions participating in the strike have adhered to all required procedures. This is the first official response from the government since the University Staff and Support Staff Union (USPU) and the Association of USP Staff (AUSPS) initiated their strike last Friday.
So far, the USP administration, along with Minister for Education Aseri Radrodro and Minister for Employment, Productivity and Industrial Relations Agni Deo Singh, have not commented on the situation at the Laucala Campus.
Mr. Rabuka informed that he has instructed Mr. Radrodro to convene a meeting of the USP Council. He acknowledged that the USP staff unions are following the guidelines laid out in the Employment Relations Act 2007 relating to strikes. Additionally, he noted that all student support services at the Laucala Campus continue to function normally, with assistance being provided by both non-union staff and union members who have opted not to strike.
Furthermore, Mr. Rabuka has authorized the Minister for Education to arrange a meeting with the USP Council to discuss the concerns raised by the staff unions. In a staff email, Agnes Kotoisuva, executive director for People’s and Workplace Strategy at USP, suggested that the university may consider taking legal action in response to the directives of the Permanent Secretary of Employment, Productivity and Workplace Relations.
The unions’ grievances arise from outcomes of a recent Special Council meeting that they believe inadequately addressed issues of poor leadership under Vice-Chancellor Pal and focused only on human resources matters. They are also raising concerns about the ineffective leadership structure at the university and the alleged wrongful termination of Professor Tamara Osborne-Naikatini, a biologist at USP, in July.