Employment Minister Agni Deo Singh says they have extended an invitation for voluntary mediation to the staff and students of the University of the South Pacific as their strike enters its fourth day today.

Singh confirms that the Chief Mediator is in contact with the union.

He says their staff have been visiting the premises and monitoring the situation daily.

He adds that issues relating to Vice Chancellor Professor Pal Ahluwalia are a council matter, and Fiji is one of the members. He notes that USP is a regional university governed by the council.

The Association of University of the South Pacific Staff and the Union of USP staff went on strike last Friday.

They are demanding that Vice Chancellor Professor Ahluwalia step down from his position and that Dr. Tamara Osborne-Naikatini be reinstated.

Dr. Naikatini was terminated by USP in July for allegations of gross misconduct.

Some students are claiming that their future is hanging in the balance, as there is no other lead Pacific biologist to sign off on the 12 PhD students whom Dr. Naikatini supervised.

Since the strike, USP has released only one statement yesterday, stating that operations continue as normal and that all staff not working will not be paid.