Overview

• Birmingham City Council and Unite the Union will engage in Acas-mediated talks on May Day to resolve the ongoing bin strike that began on March 11.
• Craig Cooper, the council's executive director of city operations, will leave his role in June, with Richard Brooks stepping in as interim replacement.
• West Midlands Fire Service is urging residents to avoid burning household recycling after a person was treated with oxygen following an indoor fire.
• The strike, rooted in pay disputes and the elimination of a recycling officer role, has left tens of thousands of tonnes of rubbish uncollected across the city.
• Public health and safety concerns persist, with fire hazards and environmental risks exacerbated by the prolonged waste crisis.