Fighting fund banner

 

Protests at Plymouth University on Wednesday after job loss talks fail

7 July 2014

Staff will be protesting at Plymouth University on Wednesday 9 July in an ongoing row about job losses.

  • Staff protesting against further job losses as university spending on advertising, travel, consultancy shoots up
  • 圖朸厙 demands to know cost of sponsoring a conference in Miami Beach
  • Vice-chancellor suspended last week 

Talks between 圖朸厙 and the university last week failed to resolve the issue and the union has called a lunchtime protest at 12.15pm outside the .

The dispute centres on the university's plans to sack seven members of staff. 圖朸厙 says the university has already lost enough talented staff following a round of voluntary redundancies and should look to other areas to make savings rather than sack staff.
 
The union pointed out that the university's travel bill had shot up by 瞿800,000 last year and the university had spent an extra 瞿1.2m on consultancy fees, bringing the total up to almost 瞿6m. The university's financial report documented that 'other expenses' had gone up by more than half from 瞿6,727,000 to 瞿10,352,000. There had been also been almost an extra 瞿1m spent on advertising and marketing.
 
圖朸厙 is seeking greater openness about the university's finances and has submitted a Freedom of Information request after the university refused to reveal how much had been spent on sponsoring a earlier this year.
 
The vice-chancellor of Plymouth University last week.
 
圖朸厙 regional official, Philippa Davey, said: 'There is absolutely no need for Plymouth University to sack more staff. 圖朸厙 members will be out in force on Wednesday to show that they believe the university must reconsider its priorities.
 
'If the university thinks it needs more savings after the recent redundancy round it should look at increased travel expenses, the tens of thousands of pounds spent on consultancy fees and the sponsorship of conference in Miami.'

Last updated: 7 March 2019

Comments