Page 13 - Islands Business October 2024 edition

Education

DISUNITY IN USP STRIKE

By Aisha Azeemah Visitor position to ensure the University can attract quality
candidates. The Council has resolved that an appointment of
A special University of the South Pacific Council meeting the Visitor will be made in its November Council Meeting.”
to address rising tensions between staff and management This was largely received by staff in a positive light, the
appears to have failed in its attempt to quell a threat of a lack of a Visitor having reportedly been the end point of
strike by USP staff unions. Over a hundred members of USP several staff grievances over the past two years.
staff, including both academic and support staff, made their “The announcement of the appointment of a Visitor is
voices heard on October 18, 2024, with the commencement of significant because the compounding issues, the staff issues
a strike. and concerns, are really because there’s no avenue for staff
While some considered the meeting a sign of the Council to push their issues forward. So all staff can do is go straight
stepping up to address staff concerns, others reportedly to the Ministry of Labour to file in the tribunal court. So that’s
found the outcomes of the talks to be underwhelming and where the issues will go. But in fact, if we had a Visitor, it
misdirected. would not go there to
Talks on September the Employment Courts,
24 at the University’s the Ministry of Labour,
Laucala Campus in etc., these issues should
Fiji were held after be resolved by the
steadily growing Visitor,” Fatiaki said.
discord between staff While Fatiaki
and management maintains that the
was exacerbated by discussions at the
the termination of special council meeting
academic and lecturer, had been productive,
Dr Tamara Osborne- the unions were
Naikatini’s employment. displeased at the second
The President of one Strike action at the University of the South Pacific outcome shared with
of the two USP staff staff in the September
unions, the Association 26 letter.
of USP Staff (AUSPS), stated that Osborne-Naikatini’s The letter stated that “the Council has also responded
termination resulted in widespread outcry among staff and to concerns expressed about human resource decisions
some student groups, prompting a vote for strike action. and processes and has resolved to initiate an independent
The Fijian parliament discussed the issue on August 7 as review.”
national and regional focus turned on the University. A ballot Staff have raised concerns over Vice Chancellor Professor
for strike action was held on August 14 and talks of a special Pal Ahluwalia’s management decisions as head of the regional
council meeting were heard soon after. institution.
Speaking to Islands Business a week prior to the strike being Some union members claim an investigation into “human
announced, AUSPS General Secretary Rosalia Fatiaki said resource decisions and processes” seeks to shift the focus
industrial action had been put on hold awaiting the results of away from Pal’s involvement in decision-making processess.
the special council meeting. Fatiaki, who had been present According to Fatiaki, the unions had written a statement
for the meeting, asserted that she could neither discuss nor upon receiving the letter “expressing their dismay at that
reveal any information regarding the proceedings of the statement.”
meeting. However, she did share that many union members A veteran staff member shared similar concerns in a recent
had been disappointed at the official meeting outcomes interview with Islands Business.
released to all staff and students on September 26, resulting “The statement that came out of the Council secretariat
in strike action being re-discussed. and signed by Pat Walsh, the acting Pro-Chancellor and Chair
A letter authorised by Acting Chair of Council, Emeritus of Council, largely distorted the deliberations of the special
Professor Pat Walsh, was emailed to all USP staff and students meeting,” they said.
on September 26 outlining two major outcomes of the special “The statement referred to investigations into HR matters
council meeting; the move to appoint a visitor, and the launch when the calls at the meeting were for investigating
of an investigation into the concerns long raised by staff. Ahluwalia’s failures, and complaints relating to these failures.
“The Council is concerned about the prolonged vacancy of “I gather that the Permanent Secretary for Education had
the University Visitor. The position has been vacant since May a list of issues relating to Ahluwalia and AUSPS, and the Staff
2022,” the letter from Council stated. Union also provided a list of grievances against him. It is for
“Council will review the terms and conditions of the these reasons that the nebulous ‘HR investigation’ is not only

Islands Business, October 2024 13