News24 reports that Working on Fire (WoF) said on Saturday that the Canadian government has asked South Africa's firefighters to go home as soon as possible after they downed hoses in a pay dispute.
But, Johan Heine, chairperson of the board of WoF, said the team has indicated that they will not leave until they receive confirmation that their pay demands will be met. He stated: ''They are demanding their money before they leave, and [that they] get confirmation that they get more money.'' A WoF management team arrived in Edmonton, Canada on Saturday, morning and will travel with a SA embassy official to Alberta where the firefighters are based to negotiate and pick a date for their return. The Canadian Broadcasting Corporation quoted the Premier of Alberta, Rachel Notley, as saying that it was not acceptable to her and her government that they would have people working for wages in that do not align with their labour laws. Heine indicated that when they get home the firefighters would face internal disciplinary action.
- Read the full report by Jenni Evans, which gives details of the pay applicable, at News24
- See too, Canadian premier ‘disturbed’ by how little SA firefighters were paid, at News24
Get other news reports at the SA Labour News home page