By contributor Alan Jones, PA Industrial Correspondent
Rubbish bags piled up in front of bins in Birmingham (Aaron Chown/PA)
Fresh talks aimed at resolving the long-running Birmingham bin strike are to be held on May Day.
Conciliation service Acas will be involved in the meeting for the first time since the row flared earlier this year.
The inclusion of Acas was agreed on Wednesday during a brief meeting between Unite and Birmingham City Council.
Rows of overflowing bins in the Selly Oak area of Birmingham (Jacob King/PA)
Hundreds of members of Unite have been on all-out strike for more than a month in a dispute over pay and jobs, leading to rubbish piling up in the streets.
Acas director of dispute resolution Kevin Rowan said: “We can confirm that Birmingham City Council and Unite have agreed to Acas conciliation talks to help them resolve the current dispute involving refuse workers.
“The talks are scheduled to take place on May 1.”