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“For the past two months, we have been fighting fires every day under extreme and very difficult conditions. We go into the field and work with all the strength we have, but in the end we are not receiving what we are entitled to for our work and effort,” the firefighter told Oculus News.
He says he worked 81 hours of overtime during August alone, but received only 90,000 old lek for those additional hours — approximately €90.
“There have been times when dawn found me still in the forest. We have worked shifts and without rest to deal with the fires. Meanwhile, for 81 hours of overtime, I was given only 90,000 old lek. This is an insult to our sweat and hard work,” he said.
The firefighter says the situation is particularly frustrating when compared with colleagues working for other municipalities.
According to information he says he has received from fellow firefighters, workers in other municipalities have already received the government-approved bonus together with their July salaries.
“I have colleagues in other municipalities and they received their salaries and the bonus with their July pay. We do not understand why the same thing is not being implemented in Fushë-Arrëz,” he said.
He also says firefighters are afraid to raise the issue publicly because they fear losing their jobs.
“We have nowhere to complain. We are afraid to speak because we could lose our jobs,” the firefighter said.
He is now calling for an immediate solution, stressing that the firefighters have families and children to support and that their work becomes particularly demanding during the summer fire season.
Oculus News is publishing the complaint while protecting the firefighter’s identity. The allegations presented in his account have not been independently verified by the newsroom and should therefore be understood as his claims. A response from the Municipality of Fushë-Arrëz and the relevant authorities would be important in clarifying whether the approved bonus and overtime payments have been properly processed and paid.