By Sam Borsato - @BorsatoSam on Twitter // With files from the Government of Alberta

Alberta Government Confirms Fair Payment for South African Firefighters

Jun 29, 2016 | 2:40 PM

FORT MCMURRAY – Nearly 300 South African firefighters have received fair pay for their work, following a pay dispute that caused them to leave early.

They joined the fight against the Fort McMurray wildfires in late May, but left just a few days after a dispute with Work on Fire Ltd. The company is a non-profit organization that recruits and trains young people from poor communities.

Work on Fire agreed to a flat rate of $172.88 a day for each firefighter, that included $65 daily in wages and allowances. It equalled to $9.17 a day in Canada.

The NDP government confirmed on Wednesday that they’ve now been paid in the same range as Alberta wildland firefighters.

“We are grateful that these women and men came to help us in our time of need. We are pleased to get confirmation that they have been paid in accordance with our province’s labour laws.” noted Oneil Carlier, Minister of Agriculture and Forestry.

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