P. AND O. OFFICERS.

Press, Volume XLIX, Issue 14842, 6 December 1913, Page 13

P. AND O. OFFICERS.

SERIOUS DISAFFECTION.

(FEOM OXTR OWHf COBRESTONDKST.)

LONDON, October 29. Dissatisfaction among officers, in the service of the Peninsular and Oriental Steam Navigation Company, on tho B»u»*f* *»- compliance with requests for unproved conditions, leached * climax this week when *bout forty of the omoors - belonging to the vessels of the company in port handed m their resignations. There is a Berioua danger of the elrvice being held up, and a.ready some steamere bave been delayed. lhe liners, Nankin" and Novara, were prevented from sailing yesterday from London for Antwerp. Both vessels are cargo steamere, the, first bound ■"'for the Strait* Settlements, China, and Japan, and the other for Colombo and To-day the Arcadia was due to leave Tilbury with mails and 350 passengers fox Bombay and Karachi, but till yeßterday the company had not filled the places of the five officara who had refused service m her, and later it was announced that her departure had been postponed till Friday. In addition to the' vessels mentioned, the Borneo (clue to eail on November Ist for the iar East), the Malws (for Australia), and the Egypt (for,the Far East), axo also without officers. THE ULTIMATUM. The document setting- forth the officers , demands stateei — '•Tho officers of the Peninsular and Oriental Steam Navigation Company, having exhausted all other means, both by representations individually and through the medium of their Society, the Imperial Merchant Service Guild, have now formally given notice of their intention no longer to continue service! in the company, pending a, satisfactory adjustment of their grievances through the : medium of the secretary of the Guild, itr i- j W llooro, who is now in London in the interests of the officers concerned. In the first place, the officers state that the. conditions ac to pay ere wholly inadequate considering the nrultifax:oue duties and ere&fe responsibilities devolving upon them in what ie regarded as the leading »tearn«hip company in the British mercantile j marine. "It ia an extraordinary anomaly, < they add, "that in such a company, which j h*s enjoyed long and unexampled prosperity, j the pay ie infinitely worse than in any of the other large lines." Further, it i» contended that the company makee no proper and definite provision for old as*- Tie xeenlt j* : that, owing to stagnation of promotion m tbe company officers are advanced to a command so late in life that they themselves axe quite unable to provide for ure. All tie large, lines make a ffnbsi*nti*l provision is this respect for their captain* and ofßcere. The document continues:— A "MviNG WAGE." "It ie noteworthy, for inrtazjce, that' in fiome of cur largo liwa they are only too e'ad to ottoin the eerrice of suitable junior officers at a commencing- salary of £10 per month. In the P. and O. there are officers of ton years seniority who are getting uothinjf j more than this, which is simply* tramp — a* Uα second oSoert. Many °* &c ivasfx

officers are uncertificated men, which is riot ro in other companies." The men claim that tbe pay does r.ot constitute a "living wage." Thero is also the fact that the- officers have to put in an immense amount of overtime work when in port at home and abroad, and n<-thi***» is paid for tlfia. Another serious jrrievance is that respecting leave. The cfuoers state, that no opportunity ia given for adequate relaxation from their duties after tsegotiuting voyages. Complaint is. also made of the. great w "-?**, °? system, and of the inordinate strain *wh:ch is imposed upon tho officers, ---specially as the company Kcein to experience, enormous difficulties in filling* their places temporarily. The Imperial Merchant Service Guild have on several occasions represented theso and other matters to the company, and brought them to the immediate notice of the.directors individually, but, it is stated, all to no purposs. Tho document concludes: — "The officers of the p. » n d 0. rc*rret that they have been compelled to take & somewhat extreme stop, "but they have had no other alternative in foTcin;- matters to the attention and consideration of the comp—ay." THE. COMPANY'S REPLY. Last night the P. and 0. Company is-nied a ewer-ar.statins- that "the Board of Directors of tho Peninsular and Oriental Steam -aviK-t-on Company have learned with deep regrrct that* thero has been a large secession of officers from the ships due to leave in tho course of tho next few days." The document adds:—"The directors invite all officers concerned in this movement to meet the Board at noon on Wednesday for the purpose of disousEin-; the situation.' The ofucenj may either select their own speakers from then-serves, or, if they require assistance in stating their,case, there would bo no objeot:on to a -rentlcmnn not connected with tho service assisting, them in doing. so." fA. cable message, dated London, October 29th stated that two sittings were held of tho P. and O. conference, tho chairman and secretary of the Imperial Merchant Service Guild being spokesmen for the officers. All tho outstanding difficulties were satisfactorily fettled, and tho -resignations -if tho officers withdrawn. Hie settlement affected -153 officers.]