Alastair Gossip

Mar 4, 2025 | pressandjournal.co.uk | Alastair Gossip

Cracks are appearing in the SNP’s resolve – as an eleventh hour, multi-million-pound plan to avert strikes set to cripple public services emerges. Nationalist council co-leader Christian Allard is facing calls from within his own party to blink first in the row with Aberdeen workers over the threat of fire and rehire. It comes as councillors will hear calls to undo a £5 million staff reorganisation which prompted the dispute in the first place.

Mar 3, 2025 | pressandjournal.co.uk | Alastair Gossip

Bins could be left overflowing, nurseries could be left bereft of staff and vital support services for the most vulnerable could grind to a halt under a promise to unleash strike “chaos” across Aberdeen within weeks. Unions are racing to ballot members on strikes as the council over contentious changes. There are fears some of the city’s lowest-paid employees could be plunged further into poverty by plans to cut their working week down to 35 hours.

Feb 23, 2025 | pressandjournal.co.uk | Alastair Gossip

Strings of emails going back almost two years have revealed the calamitous scramble to save the William Wallace fountain at Union Terrace Gardens from “solid green gunge”. The plinth surrounding the B-listed statue was installed as part of the overbudget £32.2 million refurbishment of the Victorian park. But the water feature has been dry for many months, as Aberdeen City Council shambled to get staff trained to run and maintain it while fearing it could be a Petri dish of serious disease.

Feb 19, 2025 | pressandjournal.co.uk | Alastair Gossip

“I think – I know – I break all records for being reported to the Standards Commission and I hope there will not be further complaint… but you know, I take that with me.”Throwing punches like the obscure Olympic boxer he would later reference, ex-Labour councillor Barney Crockett might well be in the dog house again…The former lord provost came under fire as the unaligned independent members grew ever-more outspoken on the key crises at the city council.

Feb 16, 2025 | pressandjournal.co.uk | Alastair Gossip

A million-pound threat looms over Aberdeen City Council as unions prepare to ballot on strikes over the latest staffing shake-up. Council leaders are being asked to rule out the threat of a “fire and rehire” process in a dispute over a pay freeze, as the working week is reduced. Talks between Marischal College chiefs and unions have disintegrated, leaving the collective bargaining process at a loss.