USP union holds secret ballot for strike action and removal of VC Ahluwalia

Minister for Education Aseri Radrodro is calling for an urgent special meeting with the University of the South Pacific and Staff Associations to discuss and settle the issues pertaining to the welfare and other issues raised by former Association of USP Staff Presidents, Doctor Tamara Osborne Naikatini and Elizabeth Fong.

Radrodro made the comments in Parliament when questioned about the government's stand on the planned strike action by the university staff members.

He says they are committed to the concerns of the Fijian Staff at USP because being a regional University with 12 member countries, the council is the executive governing body of the University which has all the powers to exercise it.

Radrodro says 75 percent of their staff are Fijians and they need to solve this issue as soon as possible.

Furthermore, he says he has briefed the Prime Minister on the issues raised by the University staff and will await confirmation from the Ministry of Employment regarding the planned strike action.

He says they respect other unions who are representatives of the different countries in the council and they will have a meeting shortly to settle these ongoing issues.

Former President of the Association of University of the South Pacific Staff, Doctor Tamara Osborne Naikatini confirms members of the Association and the USP Staff Union have unanimously voted to go for a strike ballot as they want Doctor Naikatini to be reinstated and USP Vice Chancellor, Professor Pal Ahluwalia to be removed from office.

While speaking on fijivillage Straight Talk With Vijay Narayan, Doctor Naikatini also confirmed that she has filed a grievance about her unfair dismissal from the USP as she believes that she has not breached the University’s ordinances when raising concerns about the renewal of Professor Ahluwalia’s contract.

At one stage after the COVID-19 pandemic, 400 vacancies were not filled at the University of the South Pacific and this was of a great concern to the former Presidents of the Association of USP Staff, Elizabeth Fong and Doctor Tamara Osborne Naikatini.

While speaking on fijivillage Straight Talk With Vijay Narayan, Fong said the large number of unfilled positions was affecting the workload of the remaining USP staff, especially their physical and mental health.

She says there was a lot of pressure on the staff and they were raising questions as to why the vacancies were not advertised.

Furthermore, she says the Fiji Government was not giving its contribution.

However she says there was money being saved over a period of time with 400 positions vacant, so there was money accumulating to be able to fill, at least 200 positions.

Fong says the other area of concern is the lack of promotion for regional academics and professionals and they are losing people with great potential to Australia and New Zealand who are offered senior lecturer positions there.

She says gender balance is another issue they were grappling with because the charter for building women in the University is allegedly not being followed.

She says sadly, the promotions are not balanced.

Doctor Naikatini confirms members of the Association and the USP Staff Union have unanimously voted to go for a strike ballot as they want her to be reinstated and USP Vice Chancellor, Professor Ahluwalia to be removed from office.

She also confirms that she has filed a grievance of her unfair dismissal from the USP as she believes that she has not breached the University’s ordinances when raising concerns about the renewal of Professor Ahluwalia’s contract.

She says the union members have been very vocal and they see this as an attack on unions and freedom of speech at the University.

Vice Chancellor Ahluwalia was also invited to the show however the University said that he will not attend as they do not discuss personnel issues publicly.

We have sent questions to the USP and they are yet to respond.

Former President of the Association of University of the South Pacific Staff, Doctor Tamara Osborne Naikatini confirms members of the Association and the USP Staff Union have unanimously voted to go for a strike ballot as they want Doctor Naikatini to be reinstated and USP Vice Chancellor, Professor Pal Ahluwalia to be removed from office.

While speaking on fijivillage Straight Talk With Vijay Narayan, Doctor Naikatini also confirmed that she has filed a grievance of her unfair dismissal from the USP as she believes that she has not breached the University’s ordinances when raising concerns about the renewal of Professor Ahluwalia’s contract.

She says the union members have been very vocal and they see this as an attack on unions and freedom of speech at the University.

She says to walk away, and not do anything about it would constitute her voicing that unionism is not going to work at the University.

According to the two former presidents, Doctor Naikatini and Elizabeth Fong, they expect both unions to take a strike ballot.

Fong says they took the step and wrote to Vice Chancellor Ahluwalia and gave him 3 to 4 days to reconsider and rethink the decision he made regarding the dismissal of Doctor Naikatini taking into account the needs of the students.

Vice Chancellor Ahluwalia was also invited to the show however the University said that he wil lnot attend as they do not discuss personnel issues publicly.