Hundreds of staff and students at the University of the South Pacific participated in a strike to protest against what they describe as ongoing poor leadership at the institution. The Association of the USP Staff and the USP Staff Union have voiced significant frustration following the recent outcome of a Special Council meeting, which they claim misrepresented serious grievances as mere HR issues that need investigation, rather than addressing concerns regarding Vice Chancellor Pal Ahluwalia.
Participants wore black and white to signify their solidarity during the protest. The strike is a result of a secret ballot conducted in August that called for the removal of Vice Chancellor Prof. Ahluwalia.
Rosie Fatiaki, President of the Association of the USP Staff, expressed dissatisfaction with the Council’s response, saying, “Collectively, the members of the USP Staff, with the Union, unanimously agreed to go on strike today. We hope the Council will resolve the matter.” She emphasized that the unions believe Ahluwalia must be removed for a credible investigation to take place, arguing that allowing him to retain his position while under investigation is an example of severe governance failure.
Fatiaki also pointed out that after almost four weeks since the last Council meeting, there has been no advancement in initiating the investigation. The unions have been raising concerns about Ahluwalia’s management for months and shared an independent report on his performance with the Council in November of last year.
The unions respect the need for the Special Council to act but criticized the Secretariat’s outcome as ambiguous and not accurately reflecting the primary issue: Ahluwalia’s leadership damaging the University. Fatiaki added that approximately 200 staff members participated in the strike after receiving a mandate for industrial action.
The unions view the delay in addressing these issues as unacceptable, especially with the expectation that the investigation report would be presented at the November 2024 Council meeting. They allege that the process is being deliberately obstructed.
In response, the University has acknowledged the strike by Fiji-based staff from the two unions but maintains that the issue is outside the bounds of their collective contracts and employment conditions. The university stated that while the strike occurs, their focus remains on providing support to students.