The settlement of the long-running Birmingham bins dispute remains on a knife edge with an expensive High Court case looming.

Birmingham City Council leadership has called an emergency meeting this Friday to set out its final position on the ongoing dispute - but reports are being kept under wraps.

The Mail understand that the latest round of talks between the city council and Unite union, with the help of conciliation service Acas, took place earlier this week, amid optimism of a resolution.

But according to council, union and Labour Party sources the dispute is still in the balance.

The council’s cabinet will now be meeting on Friday at 1.30pm - with part of the meeting held in private - to agree its final position.

Details of what will be discussed at the special cabinet meeting have not been revealed and those closest to the situation are remain tight lipped. A public version of the final report will be issued.

If there is no agreement by then the battle will resume in the High Court on Monday, November 27.

A source said: “We have got our fingers crossed - there may be an agreement, but there are a lot of people who have to agree it.”

Another source summed up the situation: “This is Birmingham politics, anything can happen between now and Friday.”

The dispute over the downgrading of a set of binmen’s jobs and changes to working patterns, has been ongoing since the end of June.

Strike action during the summer caused major disruption to refuse collection and a series of mistakes over an aborted deal with the union forced the resignation of council leader John Clancy.

Unite members protest as binmen go back out on strike
Unite members protest as binmen go back out on strike

The two sides, in public at least, seem entrenched, with the council arguing it cannot maintain ‘leading hand’ binmen on a higher grade salary, without risking another raft of costly equal pay claims from other staff.

The Unite union has been equally forthright in its refusal to back down in what it argues is an attack on workers pay and condition - especially after being offered a deal in August only to have it snatched away.

But behind the scenes since the council lost a first round of legal action in September there have been regular negotiations between the sides and some indications that there may be a deal. Whatever the picture will be much clearer by Friday afternoon.