WORK ON WANGANELLA

Chronicle (Levin), 14 June 1947, Page 6

WORK ON WANGANELLA

-Press Association

FURTHER PAYMENTS DIRECTED

By Telegraph

WELLINGTON, Junc 13. A direction to William Cable and Company to make further payments to their enipioyees who worked on the Wanganeila while Ihe ship was on the reef was made by the feonciliation Coim missioneiv (Mr. S. Ritchie) in a- reserved ... judgment given today.' on the clispute which came before the Strikes and Lockouts Tribunal o'f which he was chairxnan. " " ; . ' In addition to the 17s 6d an hour for the aetual working time already paid to the' workers Mr. Ritchie directed fur-. ther payments of 14s a night for each niglit spent by them on the ship, that one hour 's travelling time and two meal breaks of threequarters of an hour be added to each day's time and be paid for at the salvage rate. The workers asked for 17s 6d an hour for all time spent by them on the ship including sleeping time and travelling time. The workers were members of the Wellington Boilermakers and Metahvorkers ' Union and the Wellington braneh of the New Zealand Engineering Workers' Union. In his judgment Mr. Ritchie said that when the employers fixed payment to the men- .at 17s 6d an hour for actual working time only the arrangement was not in accord with the award. It appeared that the payment offered (17s 6d an hour) was not unsatisfactory to the workers and they accepted it as the rate to be paid for all workers on salvage work. They afterwards learned that the waterside workers were paid 17s 6d an hour from wharf to wharf with travelling time to their homes extra, aud that the Harbour Board employces were paid 17s 6d an hour for the first day on the ship for 24 hours a day and later 17s 6d an hour with "a minimum 'payment of ten hours a day. The men -employed by Gable and Company on the Wanganeila while the ship was on the reef were provided with sleeping accommodation to ensure that all the available hours could be used to the best advantage in repairing the vesscl. The men were provided for as well as was possible under the eircumstances and they did not complain of their board and accommodation, but the period away from home was not the result of their choosing and was arranged solely to expedite work on the ship. Concluding his judgment, Mr. Ritchie stated: "The additional payments will place the workers employed on the vessel in a position no less favourable tlian the other workers employed on the job."