Setting the record straight on retirement age plan at UniFiji

The University of Fiji Vice Chancellor, Professor Sushila Chang, has now come out and stated her position on the controversial proposed retirement age policy.

She says it is in the discussion stage and not policy yet. She says there is no policy on retirement adding “I’m really surprised with this kerfuffle about the staff retirement policy ”.

She was obviously referring to Fiji Sun reports on the issue.

She is right on one thing – that there is no retirement policy. The Fiji Sun never said there was a policy in place. But there was a proposal for a retirement age of 65 years, which was being opposed by some senior academics who formed a group called the Laureate Brigade.

Professor Chang even said that the suggestion for a retirement policy was highlighted during a staff consultation last year. She even confirmed that it was one of the 28 draft policies being discussed.

The debate over the proposed retirement age was made public for the first time through a Between The Lines report last Saturday.

The same day a Fiji Sun reporter went to the Anchorage Beach Resort in Vuda, where Professor Chang resides, to try to get a response from her, but he was unsuccessful.

The following day, in the evening, Professor Chang said in a bulletin to staff members: “As for the retirement policy discussed at the Staff/HR Policy Staff Consultation meetings, we had discussed this entry into our policies at Saweni and Samabula.

“Retirement age of 65 is not new in Fiji as other academic institutions have implemented this, one as far back as 2013, I am told.

“With the exception of a small minority there were no objections to this during the staff consultation meetings. Like the other academic institutions we also have vested interest. As discussed at our staff consultation discussions, we will definitely reemploy staff who are above the retirement age as long as they are willing, and able to contribute.”

In a similar announcement to the University of Fiji Council, the wording of the VC’s message on ‘re-employment’ was different... staff who continue to contribute to the University and who are of retirement age can of course be re-employed, showing that the university will decide who over the age of 65 it will re-employ.

This shows that there has been discussion on this subject and there are some senior academic staff who did not like it.

They are no doubt happy now that those who are over 65 years old will not be forcibly retired.

In fact, some have had their contracts renewed for another three years, according to Professor Chang. Good sense has prevailed.