Plea to not burn recycling during bin strike

People in Birmingham have been urged to not burn uncollected recycling during the bin strike after a resident was rescued by firefighters.

West Midlands Fire Service (WMFS) said the resident, who escaped injury, was given oxygen by fire crews and treated by paramedics after trying to burn recycling inside their home.

The incident came amid the suspension of routine collection services in the city during the ongoing refuse workers' strike, which began on 11 March.

Emily Fernandez, head of fire prevention at WMFS, said burning household recycling, including cardboard, paper or plastics, was "very dangerous, especially indoors".

"You could quickly be overcome by the smoke or burnt. Such fires can quickly get out of control and spread," she added.

Ms Fernandez said uncollected recycling should be stored safely until the next collection date or taken to a household recycling centre.

"Never try to burn it – you're risking lives and property," she said.

The all-out strike, called by union Unite, saw more than 300 refuse workers walk out and led to thousands of tonnes of rubbish piling up on the city's streets.

The industrial action was taken during a dispute over Birmingham City Council's decision to remove the Waste Recycling and Collection Officer (WRCO) roles, with Unite claiming about 170 affected workers could face losing up to £8,000 a year.

The local authority said the number of staff that could lose the maximum amount of more than £6,000 was 17 and that they would have pay protection for six months.

This week, Unite said a deal was within "touching distance", and both parties confirmed talks would be held with conciliation service Acas next week.

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