Radrodro awaits USP council reply
“We are currently in discussions about the meeting date and hope to finalise it very shortly. This will allow the council members to be notified of the date and possibly the venue.
Tuesday 10 September 2024 | 13:46
A date will be set soon to discuss the current intense situation where the University of the South Pacific (USP) staff are demanding to have Vice-Chancellor, Professor Pal Ahluwalia removed.
Minister for Education Aseri Radrodro said the meeting would be scheduled based on the availability of the University Council.
“We have written to the secretariat of the USP Council and requested a special council meeting,” Mr Radrodro said.
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“We are currently in discussions about the meeting date and hope to finalise it very shortly. This will allow the council members to be notified of the date and possibly the venue.
“We aim to select a date that ensures all members are available to attend and discuss.”
The union’s secret ballot on August 14, revealed that over 90 per cent of members supported Professor Ahluwalia’s dismissal.
The Ministry of Employment, Productivity, and Industrial Relations oversaw the secret ballot. More than 550 people have signed up as members. The unions have cited a lack of good governance by Professor Ahluwalia regarding staff welfare.
PIF meeting
Mr Ahluwalia, at the 53rd Pacific Islands Forum (PIF) meeting in Tonga earlier this month assured leaders of the university’s leading role in the social and economic transformation of the Blue Pacific through a skilled society.
He also briefed leaders on the significant global shifts taking place across the Higher Education sector, with a rapidly changing student profile and issues related to labour mobility.
“USP is responding to these issues through cross-cutting themes of consolidation, transformation, innovation and sustainability,” Mr Ahluwalia told the forum.
Feedback: wati.talebula@fijisun.com.fj
