Wansolwara News

Vol. 5 No. 2
June 2000

Front Page

CRISIS FALLOUT MAY HIT USP STAFF
June 2000

By REGGIE DUTT

THE UNIVERSITY of the South Pacific may face a major staffing shortage in the fallout from Fiji’s political crisis. Personnel manager Kristin Adair told Wansolwara last week that “a lot of the senior staff” at Laucala campus had indicated they wanted to leave.

The Vice-Chancellor, Esekia Solofa, also said he expected some resignations — as happened after the 1987 coups. “I don’t know how many, and I hope not too many, but I expect that there will be some,” Mr Solofa said.

Ms Adair said she could not put a number on the people who had resigned or who would resign. “It is a little unclear at the moment — the verbal number is different to what we actually have in writing,” said Ms Adair.

“A lot of people have indicated they will, but whether they follow through is another question.” Asked who were indicating a desire to leave, Ms Adair said: “In all cases, they are senior people”.

“Everytime something happens, it changes people’s minds,” she said.

It was also affecting decisions by people who had planned to stay on for a further contract. New people being recruited have also been affected.

Ms Adair said she had received messages saying, “what is happening?” and “we don’t want to come anymore”. She said it was a hard waiting game.

“In fact, what most people from overseas are concerned about is not safety, but devaluation, and the effect it might have on university salaries.’

She said they had to look at their financial abilities before they could come here and USP had no way of reassuring them. The university hoped the situation would soon stabilise.

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