Two garbage truck drivers in the Okanagan say they have been fired after speaking out about a surveillance camera installed in a company dump truck.

Andrew Shepherd and Shane Collins complained to CBC News last week when their employer, OK Environmental Waste Systems, installed a video camera on the front windshield of one of the company trucks

'I decided to take this thing into my own hands.'— Fired truck driver Shane Collins

On Monday morning, the two were fired, Collins said.

"Because I defied them," he said. "I went to an outside source to have a voice for me and the guys I work with. They were incredibly upset that we had gone over their heads and blew the whistle about what was happening here at our company."

Though Collins never spoke publicly, he took photos of the video camera stuck to his truck's windshield, which were later sent to the news media by Shepherd.

The video camera recorded him taking the photos and that's why Collins believes he was fired.

Collins said the camera obstructed his view out the front windshield and sat about 50 centimetres from the driver's face.

"I couldn't imagine driving around with that thing staring at me. I decided to take this thing into my own hands."

Workers must mind employer's reputation

Truck drivers say the camera is installed on the windshield and obstructs their view. (Contributed by Shane Collins)

The drivers also had privacy concerns about the cameras, but B.C.'s Office of the Information and Privacy Commissioner says it could be within an employer's rights to install a surveillance camera if all other avenues of dealing with the problem have been exhausted.

The drivers aren't unionized, and employment lawyer Veronica Ukrainetz says that like it or not, workers do have a duty to the company they work for.

"The employee has to be conscious whether what they are doing could damage the employer's business or reputation."

She suggests Collins and Shepherd should contact a lawyer or the Ministry of Labour if they think they have been fired without due cause.

OK Environmental Waste Systems has not responded to requests to comment.

With files from the CBC's Brady Strachan