The University of the South Pacific (USP) is planning to take legal action against the decisions made by the Permanent Secretary of Employment, Productivity, and Workplace Relations concerning the strike actions taking place among USP’s unions.
An email confirmed by FijiLive indicates that the university has warned staff participating in the strike that they will not receive payment for the duration of their protest. The email states, “Staff who are members of either of the two unions who do not report to work or maintain their normal office hours and are not on previously approved leave will be considered to be on strike.” Furthermore, it notes that with the current circumstances surrounding the strike, only emergencies will be acknowledged for leave applications, as per university policy.
USP asserts that the issues at hand are deemed by management to be beyond the scope of existing collective contracts and employment conditions. The university emphasized its commitment to prioritizing support for students and aims to minimize disruptions to its services.
FijiLive has reached out to the Ministry of Employment for further comments.