USP's Fiji-based staff union members want the Vice-Chancellor Pal Ahluwalia to resign. 22 October 2024 Photo: Facebook / Association of the University of the South Pacific Staff
The University of the South Pacific says it "remains steadfast in its commitment to students" as its Fiji-based staff unions continue with their strike, demanding the institution's vice-chancellor resign.
Association of USP Staff (AUSPS) general-secretary Rosalia Fatiaki said there have been ongoing leadership problems, including unfilled vacancies and staff being overworked, but the strike was sparked by the termination of the union's president, Dr Tamara Osborne-Naikatini.
University of the South Pacific staff strike
Unions began their strike action on Friday last week, and continue to protest as of Wednesday, with no signs of a resolution.
They want Dr Osborne-Naikatini, whose employment contract was terminated on 9 July, to be reinstated.
"It's the poor leadership overall, [Naikatini's termination] was one of the issues," Fatiaki said, adding that "staff were outraged by that action."
When RNZ Pacific contacted Ahluwalia, who is currently in Apia for the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM), he said he could not talk.
However, a statement from USP on Tuesday night said the university continues to ensure "there are minimal disruptions to lectures, tutorials, and other learning and teaching activities".
"All lectures and tutorials are proceeding as scheduled," the statement said.
"The claim by the unions that there has been widespread cancellation of classes is blatantly false."
It said that all essential services, such as the library, medical centre and student administrative services, also continue to operate.
The university confirmed Ahluwalia is currently "engaged in official University business across the region" and said claims that he is on vacation were false.
Pal Ahluwalia Photo: USP
However, the AUSPS doubled down on its position that "classes were indeed canceled due to staff participation in the strike".
"The unions protest demands that fair and transparent investigations be allowed to happen without delay or interference," the unions said via a statement in response.
In 2019, Ahluwalia was deported from Fiji in a midnight raid carried out by Fijian police and immigration officials, after he fell out of favour with the previous Bainimarama administration, for exposing allegations of corruption and financial mismanagement at the university under the leadership of his predecessor.
Fatiaki said the vice-chancellor was once loved among staff, who stood by him during the saga.
"Now the staff have assessed his performance when he was given his new contract after the deportation and we saw that he has failed USP," she said.
"He is not the person who USP hired to lead this regional institution."
The USP said a USP Special Council Meeting on 24 September had addressed concerns related to human resource decisions.
It said the USP Council resolved to initiate an independent review (not investigation) of recent HR decisions, with findings to be presented at its November meeting.
But both the USP Staff Union and the AUSPS expressed "deep dissatisfaction", saying the grievances were not focused on Ahluwalia.
"The outcome seemed to focus on HR, rather than investigating [Ahluwalia]," Fatiaki said.