THE MERCHANT SERVICE.

Dominion, Volume 4, Issue 1084, 24 March 1911, Page 8

THE MERCHANT SERVICE.

WHAT OFFICERS ARE ASKING. Papers filed by the Merchant Servico Guild, in its application that the industrial dispute with the Maoriland Steamship Co. and other employers be heard by the Council of Conciliation, state that the dispute is in regard to the hours of labour, rate of wages, etc. The statement of claim sets out that the minimum rates of wages required to be paid per month to masters and officers of vessels owned or trading in New Zealand waters, if they are members of the guild, shall bo as follow:—For vessels of 10,000 gross register and under: Master .£2B, chief officer ,£lB, second officer ,£l4, third officers X'l2. 'In each year every master and officer to be entitled to leave of absence on full pay, the master' for 28 days' contipuous, and the officers to 11 days'continuous. Second and subsequent holidays are to be°in as from 12 months since the previous holiday became due. The leave is to begin and end at tho masters' or officers' home port. If a master or officer is discharged he shall receivc payment in lieu of the holiday. Every, master and officer is to be entitled to be absent from his vessel, at his home port, from one hour after' the ship has been safely moored or berthed, until two hours before departure. Except as provided above, every master and officer shall be liable to duty at any time, but not for more than eight hours each day. The hom« port of each officer shall be stated in the articles, but may be altered by the officer by giving the employer not less than a month's notice in writing. If a master or officer is required to work in contravention of the foregoing clauses, ho shall ba paid overtime—masters at the rate of ss. per hour, and offi. cers at the rate of 2s. Gd. per hour. At all times, except during leave of absence, the guild claim that a master shall receive a victualling allowance of 10s. per day, and an officer ss. per day. Wheii a master or officer is transferred from one ship or trade to another, it is asked that he shall receive trie transit for his family arid effects to the port at which ho desires to reside, due notice being given to the employer that he intends to change. A\hen a steamer runs an excursion on a public holiday overtime rates shall bo paid. Notwithstanding anything in the articles of agreement signed by the officers, or in . the agreement with tho master, when a master' or officer has served three months on 'any shin or ships of the employer, the service shall bo terminable only by a month's notice on eitherside. It also sought that preference shall be given to members of tho guild. The shipowners attached are .'the Maoriland Steamship Co., Levin and Co., W. and G. Turnbull and' Co., 'Richardson and Co., Wellington and Wanganui Steam Packet Co., Johnston and Co., Captain T. Kckford. Arichpr" Shipping and Foundry Co., Westlahd Steamship Co., and tho Patea Shipping Co. Captains AV. 11. Ward and A. J, Clunio arc recommended by the guild as assessors.