Page 20 - IB May 2024

Education Education

outgoing Pro-Chancellor Hilda Heine who was absent because the Council was going over the minutes of its November 2023
she had won back the Presidency of the Republic of the meeting, resulting in a heated debate.
Marshall Islands. A Council member said that at that point, the Tongan Prime
According to AUSPS general secretary, Rosalia Fatiaki, Minister, Siaosi Sovaleni, interjected with a motion to vote on
Heine responded by saying that the items in the paper were Ahluwalia’s return to Fiji in August. The motion was seconded,
management issues and should be resolved with management and the result was an overwhelming 21 to 4 votes.
rather than the Council. Meanwhile, USP’s Human Resources department has told
Islands Business that Ahluwalia has not seen or signed his new
‘Flawed’ contract process contract yet.
The November Council meeting is mired in controversy. Said Interim Executive Director People and Workforce
The unions claim that the process by which Ahluwalia’s new Strategy, Agnes Kotoisuva: “The contract is still being
two-year contract that was approved at that meeting was prepared and Ahluwalia will sign it when it is finalised.”
flawed. They want the Council to revisit a Joint Committee of Kotoisuva did not respond to our queries about who will
Council and Senate (JCCS) report compiled last year based on finalise the contract since the next full Council meeting is in
feedback from University stakeholders on whether to retain November.
Ahluwalia’s services for another two years.
Union leaders have told Islands Business that USP’s human Staff paper
resources department has taken AUSPS President, Dr Tamara The unions say the joint report prepared by them is aimed
Osborne to task for “gross misconduct” after she spoke about at alerting the USP Council to the “deeper issues” that relate
details of the Council’s process in granting Ahluwalia the new to the “reputation, security, and future” of the University.
two-year contract at the November Council, in the March They “want people to understand what’s really going on at
edition of this publication. USP and the ripple effects it’s having on the region.”
The unions say they have engaged a lawyer to represent The staff paper claims a new expense account was
Osborne since “it’s very unclear from our reading of the created for the VCP in 2021 when he was deported from Fiji.
Ordinance that there should be any disciplinary action.” According to the 2024 Annual Plan, that account was allocated
“VCP Ahluwalia has the prerogative to refer the case to FJ$1.3million (US$0.57 million) in 2021. This year, it has gone
the HR disciplinary committee, but he does not necessarily up to FJ$2.5million (US$1.10 million), (a 90% increase).
interfere with their work,” the union leaders said. The report also details increased daily per diems this year -
“But we question the independence of HR when they are from FJ$615 to FJ$731 (US$271.71 to US$322.84) (19%) for
first making the allegation of misconduct, then they also make Suva, and from FJ$746 to FJ$954 (28%) for Denarau. The
the decision,” said AUSPS general secretary, Rosalia Fatiaki. unions say that in comparison, United Nations (UN) per diem
“It’s a clear case of intimidation.” rates for Suva have remained constant at FJ$510 since 2020,
Fatiaki said Interim Executive Director People & Workforce while Denarau was non-existent until 2024, priced at FJ$840
Strategy, Agnes Kotoisuva told the unions it was an internal (14% less than USP).
matter, and that the warning to Osborne “was given verbally “We want to know the grounds on which the per diem rates
without any written legal advice on the breach.” for USP have increased in 2024 and, the internal processes
“What is the duration for the case to be closed? What is the followed to justify and approve these increments,” the paper
timeline? It should not be hanging on Tamara,” said Fatiaki. questions.
Union leaders are also concerned about Ahluwalia’s “We find it alarming that the University’s daily per diem
comments in an April article in the Samoa Observer that rates for Suva are 43% higher than the UN’s, and 14% more for
quoted him as saying that: “My contract says I have to be Denarau.
employed by USP at the Samoa Campus and when they issued “And since all the statistics on student’s performance are
me with a new contract after my re-appointment (that was in negative trajectory, we want to know the justification for
approved in November), there were no changes made to the these expenses.”
contract.” The unions also claim a staff survey through which staff are
Apart from a pay rise dispute, Ahluwalia returning to Suva able to raise issues about the University’s administration, has
to run USP from Fiji was among the unions’ major demands not been held since 2017, and since 2021, the Council, along
over which they voted for strike action in March. with development partners Australia and New Zealand have
The unions told Islands Business that even though the been asking about its status.
Council voted to relocate Ahluwalia to Fiji at its meeting in “At last year’s May Council, it was brought up again, but
April this year, the matter of his return to Fiji was initially not no action has been taken,” the report adds. Management’s
on the agenda of that meeting. excuse is “the huge cost of $60,000” to conduct the survey,
The question of Ahluwalia’s new contract came up while said the paper.

20 Islands Business, May 2024