The University of the South Pacific has announced plans to pursue legal options regarding the decisions made by the Permanent Secretary of Employment, Productivity, and Workplace Relations concerning the strike actions taken by its employee unions.
In a communication confirmed by FijiLive, the university has warned striking staff members that they will lose pay during the period of the protest.
The university stated, “Staff members of either union who fail to report to work or maintain their usual office hours without prior-approved leave will be considered to be on strike.”
Moreover, the university indicated that, barring verified emergencies, leave requests will not be accepted due to the significant impact the strike has had on university operations.
USP has pointed out that the ongoing issues are seen by university management as falling outside the scope of their collective contracts and employment terms.
The university emphasized that their main focus remains on providing support to students and will work to ensure that disruptions to services are kept to a minimum.
FijiLive is currently seeking a response from the Ministry of Employment.