Protests at Plymouth University on Wednesday after job loss talks fail

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

Talks between UCU and the university last week failed to resolve the issue and the union has called a lunchtime protest at 12.15pm outside the Portland Square Building.

The dispute centres on the university's plans to sack seven members of staff. UCU 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 £800,000 last year and the university had spent an extra £1.2m on consultancy fees, bringing the total up to almost £6m. The university's financial report documented that 'other expenses' had gone up by more than half from £6,727,000 to £10,352,000. There had been also been almost an extra £1m spent on advertising and marketing.
 
UCU 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 conference in Palm Beach Miami earlier this year.
 
The vice-chancellor of Plymouth University Professor Wendy Purcell was suspended last week.
 
UCU regional official, Philippa Davey, said: 'There is absolutely no need for Plymouth University to sack more staff. UCU 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.'