ARBITRATION.

Dominion, Volume 4, Issue 1237, 20 September 1911, Page 7

ARBITRATION.

MERCHANT SERVICE DISPUTE.

AWARD FILED. PREFERENCE NOT GRANTED. . A number of Arbitration Court awards have been filed with the Clerk of Awards (Mr. E. titocker). Perhaps tho most interesting of these is that in the Merchant Service Guild dispute, which occupied the attention of the Court at the beginning of tho month. The award is made, to apply to steamers whose gross tonnage is not less than ICO tons, and not greater than 600 tons.

The' Court has decided that the minimum rate, of wages to bo paid to certificated officers shall be £io per mouth for first officers, and ~13 per month for second officers. The guild asked for .£lB. for first, £U for second, and .El 2 for third, for nil officers on ships of 1000 tons and under.

Except in special circumstances connected with tho safety of the steamer, an officer shall not bo kept at work continuously for more than twelve hours without "an interval of at least four hours. Officers are to be given as much time off as is reasonably possible at the home port, and shall.not be required to supervise the work of cleaniri? or painting or any similar work in such port.

After twelve mohths' continuous service they shall be entitled to fourteen days' holiday annually on full sea pay, such holiday to be taken at a time convenient to the employer. The holidays may bo allowed to accumulate by agreement, but not beyond three years.

When. an. officer has to transfer his home port, by order of the company, ho must be given reasonable notice, anil the company must grant first-class passage for his family and effects in any of the company's steamers going towards his destination. • There is no preference clause, but the award states that employers shall not discriminate against piembers of . tho union, and shall not, in the engagement or dismissal of officers, do anything directly or indirectly for the purpose of injuring the union. A victualling allowance of -is.-a day is allowed when meals are not taken on board, and tho award is to como into force on October 2, 1911, and continue for two years. Boilermakers, ' A memorandum attached to tho Boilermakers' and Iron Shipbuilders' Award states:—"This award, so fur as it relates to ironmasters, is based on the recommendations of the Council for Conciliation, which the ironmasters agreed to accept. Tho. preference clause has been altered so as to express what is understood to bo the intention of tho parties. The Court is responsible for tho special provisions relating to the Union Steamship Company, and for thoso relating to the builders and other employers, who aro not engaged in the iron trade, but who do work coming under fho scope of tho award. Mr. J. A. M'Ciillo&h, workers' representative, does not concur in the •award so far as it Telates to the Union Steamship Company." The , builders and other employers, mentioned in the memorandum, have to pay wages and overtime not less than tho award • rate, but are exempted from all other provisions. Farriers and Blacksmiths. In the Farriers' and General Blacksmiths'. Award, the wages, are thoso offered by tho employers. Under tho old award, the wage was a daily one, v but now tho rate of pay is to bo. Is. <ld. an hour for farriers and general smiths, and Is. l.jd. an hour for doormen. Tho ordinary week's work remains at K hours. The period of apprenticeship has been reduced to. five years, with a provision authorising.an apprentice, at the. end of his term, to work for a year as an improver at lid. an hour. ; , ,:; . Electrical Workers.' '~. Tho Electrical Workers' Award is based on the recommendations of the Conciliation. Council .with; slight modifications, #'Mch-; according to a memorandum dn the award, were made at the suggestion of Mr. Grenfell. Instead of twe classes of. workers, as formerly, the award provides for wiremen only,-the rato of pay to be Is. 4U\. per hour. ' ■ ' ■ Napier Drivers. In tho Napier Drivers' Award, which has just been delivered by the Arbitration Court, it is provided that ■in tho case.of an employee having a complaint against his employer, he shall refer the matter to tho secretary of the union, who shall thereupon consult with the secretary of the Ha'wke's Bay Employers' Association with a view to an amicable settlement before complaint is made to tho Inspector of Awards for'the district. Tho terms of tho award were agreed on bv the parties except those relating to wages and overtime.

The minimum wage was fixed as fol-Iows:-For thoso • driving and attending one horse, \£2 6s. per week; two or more norpos, £2 Bs. 6d. Overtime shall be paid at the rate of Is. per hour for tho first hour and a half, and Is. 6d. per hour lor all further time in excess of Si hours in any day, or in excess of tho-48 hours a weefc.