The Fiji interim Minister of Education, Filipe Bole, has declared a strike by nearly 400 staff of the University of the South pacific illegal.
Most of the Students Academic Services employees walked off their jobs at 8 o'clock this morning.
The dispute is over the restoration of the Media Unit, which was closed down last month, and the advertising of vacant posts.
Mr Bole says he was advised by the registrar of trade unions that he had not declared the results of a union secret ballot that took place on Tuesday.
He also says the employer, the USP, had reported a dispute, which is being processed, so the strike is unlawful.
