Fong and Dr Osborne-Naikatini appears on fijivillage Straight Talk With Vijay Narayan

Fong and Dr Osborne-Naikatini appears on fijivillage Straight Talk With Vijay Narayan

By fijivillage
02/08/2024

The show focuses on issues relating to the University's operations, the expectations of the students and the staff.



Minister for Education calls for an urgent meeting to settle USP issues

By Mikaele Liga
08/08/2024
Minister for Education Aseri Radrodro

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.

0% buffered00:00Current time00:00

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.




400 vacancies were not filled at the USP which concerned us - Fong

USP yet to comment
By Mikaele Liga
05/08/2024
Presidents of the Association of USP Staff, Elizabeth Fong

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.

0% buffered00:00Current time00:00

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.




Strike threat looms at USP, staff unions want me reinstated and VC Ahluwalia out – Dr Naikatini

By Vijay Narayan, Mikaele Liga
01/08/2024

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.

0% buffered00:00Current time00:00

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.


FEATURE NEWS
Flying Fijians thump Scotland 29-14
The Fiji water Flying Fijians have beaten Scotland 29-14 in a game that had spectators on the edge of their seats. Indiscipline cost Scotland the m...
4 hours ago
LATEST NEWS
Savea calls for clinical execution as All Blacks prepare for second Test against France
Stand-in All Blacks captain Ardie Savea says his side needs to be more clinical and play in the right areas of the field when they take on France in ...
27 minutes ago

Nadi set to celebrate Bula Festival next week with culture, charity and youth empowerment
Nadi is looking forward to the Bula Festival next week, with a focus on showcasing Fijian culture, providing entertainment, and raising funds for ...
1 hour ago

Fiji Museum receives 130 artifacts from the late David Gilmour’s collection
130 artifacts of 108 photographs, 16 traditional war clubs and 6 tabua have been donated by the Wakaya Perfection Trustees to the Fiji ...
1 hour ago

Fiji is stronger when everyone stands together - SODELPA
In the wake of the recent attack on the Shiv Mandir in Samabula, members of the SODELPA Party have visited the temple to personally express their ...
1 hour ago

Arya Pratinidhi Sabha calls for stronger protection of places of worship
The Arya Pratinidhi Sabha of Fiji has also strongly condemned the recent shameful and despicable act of sacrilege at the Samabula Shiv Temple and is ...
1 hour ago



fijivillage Straight Talk with Vijay Narayan
Latest Videos

Stay tuned for the latest news on our radio stations

CFL radio frequencies
IN DEPTH
Professor Prasad on fijivillage Straight Talk With Vijay Narayan
The show will focus on the 2025/2026 National Budget.
3 days ago

Tui Nayau and Tui Lau Installation
The ceremony for the installation of the Tui Nayau Sau ni Vanua o Lau will be held tomorrow, while the installation ceremony of the Tui Lau will be held in Tubou on Thursday.
5 days ago

CFL 40th Birthday
CFL’s 40th Anniversary celebrations to culminate with free concert at Albert Park on ...
8 days ago

TOP