I authorised Radrodro to call for USP Council meet, unions are in compliance of the law – PM

As day 4 of the University of the South Pacific unions’ strike ends with no resolution in sight, Prime Minister, Sitiveni Rabuka says the USP Staff unions are in compliance with the provisions and procedures for a strike as set out in the Employment Relations Act 2007.

Rabuka says he has also been informed that all USP Laucala Campus’ student support services are operating as normal by staff members who are not union members as well as staff who are union members but have chosen not to go on strike.

The Prime Minister says he has also authorised the Minister for Education, Aseri Radrodro to call for a meeting of the USP Council to deliberate on the log of claims from the USP Staff unions.

Meanwhile Fiji Labour Party Leader, Mahendra Chaudhry is questioning the delay in investigating the long standing staff grievances at USP which has culminated in the current stand off between USP management and its unions.

Chaudhry says a Special Council meeting in September 2024 agreed to set up an independent inquiry to deal with the matter but a terms of reference for this has still not been finalized.

He says the independent inquiry report was to have been presented to the Council Meeting in November 2024 but this is now not likely to happen.

The unions allege that the delay is deliberate considering that the Council Secretariat reports to the Vice Chancellor Professor Pal Ahluwalia.

He says they want the Vice Chancellor to be suspended to allow for the independent investigation to take place unobstructed.

Chaudhry says the allegations include cutting down on staff to reduce costs resulting in overloading of the remaining staff and pushing for more online courses even though students prefer on campus teaching.

He says there are over 300 vacant positions which need to be filled.

Staff have also queried the sharp increase from $200 to $600 per diem rate for Suva for the Vice Chancellor.

He also says the staff are questioning why the Vice Chancellor is staying in expensive hotels when there is an official residence at the Laucala campus which is lying vacant.

Chaudhry says he is surprised that despite the current crisis at USP, the Vice Chancellor and senior management staff are in Samoa for the Commonwealth Heads of Government meeting.

We have sought comments from the USP.