IDLE STEAM FLEET.

Dominion, Volume 5, Issue 1253, 9 October 1911, Page 5

IDLE STEAM FLEET.

ffHIRTY-TWO TIED UP. HAY REMAIN SO FOR A YEAR, CONFERENCE HELD.. THREE HUNDRED MEN AFFECTEDThere scorned a possibility of a settlement of tho dispute between owners of small coasting vessels and the Merchant Kcrvico Guild concerning tho pay and conditions of work of ofiicors on thoso small' steamers when it was arraugod that tho parties should meet in conference on Saturday, but nothing happened. Tho conference was held, and tho matters' in dispute were referred to a jbint committee of both sides, but tho committeo , failed to settle the business, and tho parties will meet separately to-day and consider tho position finally. It is just possible that another conference may bo arranged. ■ Hut tho fact is that thcro arc 32 steamers laid up in their various homo ports. This means that 32 captains and about 50 mates aro out of work to-day, nnd ■ that something like 300 other men, com- • prising the crows of tho ships—seamen, firemen, stewards, and tho like—also find themselves with nothing to do. This takes no account of wharf labourers, 6omo of whom will no doubt iind that they can earn less money, and of some members of office staffs who may presently lind themselves seriously affected. l''c<r if tho trouble is not settled, the ships aro to bo laid up, for twelve months if need be. Trade with small ports must, in consequence, be. much disorganised, for to and from thoso places where the cheapest freights aro by tho small coasters, transport of goods must either bo interrupted or carried on at greatly increased cost. CONFERENCE. THE CLAIMS OK BOTH SIDES. Tho parties met in conference in til* Employors' Association rooms on Saturi day morning. Mr. I'. Bally, Conciliation Commissioner, presided. The caso for the owners was presented by ilr, l'ryor, pec- , retarv of the Shipowners' rodcration, and (hat for the officers by Captain Watson, secretary of tho Merchant Sen-ice Guild. Upwards of 50 members of tho guild were present. Captain Watson, secretary of the Merchant Service Guild, mado a 6tatoment n,t the invitation of tho Commissioner. Ho t-aid that tho members had discussed tho position timo alter time at 6cveral meetings during tho past week, and they had decided that they could not accept as fair and reasonable anything less than was embodied in their latest proposals to tho employers. Masters wcro now prepared to accept as wages .£25 pel - month, but they would not give way from that figure. They asked also for 28' days' annual leave on full sea pay, a victualling allowance of 10s. per day at times when they wcro not victualled on board their ship, and free transit for their wives and families when it was necessary to transfer from one homo port to another. The wages demanded for first officers were £16 per month, and for second officers JJI3 per month, with fourteen days' annual leave on full sea pay, or payment in lieu thereof, such leave to bo allowed to accumu--< late by agreement, but not beyond tho third yeai'. ,As to victualling allowance tho officers woro prepared to accept tho rate specified in the award, provided the last part of tho clause relating to its not being applicable in homo ports was deleted. Thoy also askod for free transit for their families, with tho removal of the award proviso that tho transit must bo in tho ships of liho company in which the officer was employed—tnis for the reason" that most of tho ships did not carry, pasfelgers and could not-ilo'-'so. T-h«y fetotUW > now for overtime at tho Tata of 2s. (id. per hour for all hours worked more than 12 por day at sea;, wben tho vessel was part of the dny in port and part at sea, for all hours worked in excess of ton per day; and when the vessel was in'port all. day, for all hours in excess of eight per day, They also asked that owners diall. apply to tho guild for officers before filling vacancies in ships, but it was agreed that this proviso should apply in Wellington only. If a tcsscl arrived in ita homo port and started tho same day the officers should bo entitled to four hours off duty to visit his homo. And tho guild stipulated also that all officers who had resigned their posts should bo reinstated . on their ships before others wora cmployed. Tho Owners' Case, Mr. W. Pryor, for tho owners, expressed pleasuro that bo many,members of the; ; guild had responded to the invitation to attend a conference. Ho thought that > mombers would agrco with him that it was desirable, both in tho interests of tho ownors and of tho officers, that they should all be at work on Monday morning. Ho admitted that ho had fought tho caso all lie know at tho court, but now he had no fighting armour on; thoy woro oJJ there to talk tho thing over quietly,, and in a conciliatory epint, and ho believed with an earnest desire from l»th sides to roach a eottlomcnt. In tho first place, ho was instructed to say that tho employers were not prepared at present to discuss tlio claims of tho masters. The case of the masters ■must 1)0 kept entirely separato from that of tho' officers. To do that now ■ would merely bar tho way to a settlement, and, in any case, the questions regarding iho masters would depend very largely on anv settlement to bo arrived at reg "Tiling tho officers. Tho owners askod par-, ticulaiiy that the guild should a(n*i that discussion regarding the masters should bo deferred until after they (the guild) had finished their negotiations with tho Union Company. If after that it was decided to pay extra wages to the . masters, all increases would bo mndo to dato from tho timo they resumed work, so that tho masters would loso no money and their caso would not bo prejudiced. History of the Trouble Mr. l'ryor went on to sketch in win*, detail a 'history of the whole trouble Three years ago an agreement had been ' arrived at with tho officers of small steamers, and tho agreement was practically in terms of tbo proposals mado by the guild. Then it was agreed that tho rate of pay for chief officers should be ,£ls per month, and .£l2 per month for ' second officers, with ten days' annual leave. Tho position which tho employors now look up—and ho thought it was a logical one—was that, in order to secure any material alteration of the agreement mado at that time, the guild should lie . in a position to show that conditions had altered. This seemed to bo necessary, because, in connection with our trades and industries, if there was never to bo finality, never any security from extra demands, then our trndns and industries would always be kept in a stale of turmoil.

Continuing, Mr. Pryor 6fcated that tho guild had failed to put forward ono reason why thoro should bo any increase in wages, or any alteration in tho working conditions. The owners had never refused to meet the guild, but that was their case. They had had several conferences with the officers, but it had been found impossible to como to any agreement except on the two matters of victualling allowances and free transit. The owners were a little at a loss to sec hoiy thero had been a change. Tho guild, rightly or wrongly, decided to file a referenco to the Arbitration Act, and, very much against their wish, all iho employers were compelled to appear both in tho Conciliation Council and in tho Court to contest tho claims made. Tho result was tho new award, regarding which tho guild had oxprosscd dissatisfaction, Ho asked them to look at the other side of the picture. Supposing that tho Court had granted oill their demands, and given them an award which, they considered satisfactory, tho employers would have then been at least oa dissatisfied as the officers wwo with tho present awiard. If that had been granted by tho Court it would liavc dealt a serious blow to tho Wellington small steamship trade. But would not tiho ollicers liavo accepted tie awardP 'Both tho officers and tho general publio would havo expected the owners to tako tho atraml and work under it, and as a matter of fact that is what (hey would have been compelled to do. If the employers had taken (ho action which members of tho guild hnd to.ken, would not everybody have said (ihey wore not playing tho game? Ilaviiig got tho award as tho result of their own domands, it wixs thair duty as men. as firitishore, to havo. said; *Tyq havo done tho

boat, wo can; wo havo put tip tho beat fig/ht wo can; wo are not satisfied, but wo will toko it as man." Concessions Offered. Roforring to the amended demands, Mr. Pryor painted out, in passing, that tho employers -had pained nothing from the award, The. officers nsked even yet for higher wages than tho award allowed, Could they expect tho employers to grant that request? Would tho men in the owners? position agree- to anything of tho sort? Tho employers were, hqwover, willing to ogrco to extra payment by way of bonus to.officers in ships in which tho work was especially arduous,, and their suggestion was that a cbmmittoo bo set up. Consisting of two representatiyes from each side, with tho Conciliation Commissioner as chairman, to decido what extra amount per month should be paid in these cases. The owners could not agree to review tho award in a general way. Where mates were required, sis a matter of custom, to work moro than twelve hours per day, they would havo tho right to call this committee together-to decide what hours they should receive. Was not that a failproposal? ■ The guild's demands as to victualling and transfers would bo granted. He. di<l not think the guild really expected them to agree to. the'overtime proposals, but ho put it that the proposal regarding payment for excessive hours fo work removed tho necessity for overtime pay. Ho thought that in the majority of eases whoro long hours had beon workod it had been owing to want of system mid the lack of proper control of tho work. (Murmurs of dissent from the members of tho guild.) At any rate, tho owners could not agreo to tho payment of overtime, or to the alteration of tho award with regard to wages. They would agree to givo preference to meinbors of the/guild ■when engaging officers in Wellington, and they would agree that in tho event of a settlement alt tho old officers should bo rain--;tnto:l. He assured tho guild that tho proposals which ho had outlined went as far as the ownors could go, and a good deal farther than some of them had at first wished to go. _ Tho owners had definitely decided that if a settlement was hot xeaofied tho ships would be laid up. They had not been in a hurry about-things, and if it were twelve- months before the men could return to work the ships would remain tied up. This was not offered in tho nature of a threat. The owners' arrangements wero entirely completed, and .lie thought it .but fair that, tho guild Should know of- it. • Objection to Bonus. Captain Watson replied briefly. Ho Could notunderstand why the Union Company had been mentioned in this dispute. Why should tho masters havo to wait eomo months bei'oro the matter of masters' wages is settled? Ho stated that, when the wages wero increased three years ago, tho incrcaso was very slight. .At that timo the guild was not organised, and the members could not insist on fair conditions ns they could now. Concerning the guild's refusal' to accept tho (iward, he considered that they'would not have been Britishers to submit to an injustice. Tho officers asked for an eighthour day, and there was an eight-hour day on tho Australian coast. Air. Pryor: You have it in no coastal service in the world. Captain Watson: Oh yes, wo have. Mr. Eenner: What is the size of the fillips?. ' . Captain Watson: Prom about 600 tons to, 7000 tons'. •" ,_ Mr.. Eenner: Their minimum is our maximum. .'...' Captain Watson said that he did not propose io. discuss the award at all. Ho objected to tho bonus proposed. In no other employ vf oro men paid by bonuses. Were they not paid for hours worked? Because- tho state of things now' ruling in tho merchant service had gone on from timo immemorial that was no Teason why it should-go on till Domesday. If the men worked extra timo they ought to bo paid for it.';.,. ■'','.' ' .. . ''•' Control-of Overtime, Mr. Prynr: Who controls tho overtime?

Capiain Watson maintained that it was not controlled by the officers, but rather by tho masters and the agents. "Under the committee proposal it seemed (o him that Miey would bo_acc.upying tho greaterpart orthe timo of the commissioner, for they"would bo calling tho committee every day a vessel came into Wellington. Sir. Pryor said that,- in other trades, the foreman who'controlled tho.overtime ■was not bound by the award at all, and ho never received pay for overtime. Also tho rule was—"no work, no pay." Tlicro was no pay for holidays, nor was there sick pay. He urged that the guild should give the owners' proposals a year's trial. Mt. Hally said that it appeared to him that there was only'one point actually in dispute, and that was overtime—whether at was to be paid for by bonus, or at per hour. Ho took' exception to the remark that tho ships would bo tied up for twelve months, saying that, so far as ho could learn, tho employers were not the united body which they thought they were. r ■ • ■ Mr. Pryor; I object to any remark like that! Wo know exactly where we are! Air. Hally suggested that a committeeof both sides meet to discuss the matter. Exclusion of Masters. Both sides then conferred. Tho employers agreed to tho sotting up of a committeo if all questions relating to masters and (o rates of wages were eliminated. Tho guild, however, would not ngreo to tho.masters' caso being left out, 6aying that-the two classes of officers were independent, and they wanted a final •thorough settlement, 'if tho masters' caso was not settled,- the troublo with the mates would recur. Mr; Pryor explained that the Federation had no tears as to making an agreement with the masters; and, if increases wero agreed upon, they would'bo made retrospective to the date of resumption of work. If tho officers' difficulty were settled tho. masters' troublo would bo settled very easily, for it would depend very largely on the agreement made with the officers. Further, he stated that the momTiers of tho Federation present could not possibly discuss tho masters' wages for the good reason that they had no instructions from their companies, and they had no power to make a, binding agreement. U,o could promise that the masters' i-ato should bo discussed within a week. Capiain Watson: In the event of no agreement with the masters being reached, the'officers: will only go ashore again. Mr.'.Pryor: Well, they, must just come ashore. .... In tho end tho following committees vera appointed :—For the Federation: Captain M'Arthur, Captain Rodgers, Mr. W. -E. Fuller, and- Mr. Pryor. For . the Guild: Messrs. T. W. Spence, F. Radford, A. Woodnutt, and K. F. Gibson. Final Decision in Abeyance. The committee met on Saturday night t6 f discuss tho rival proposals, but Mr. TV', Pryor, being indisposed, was unable to attend. The discussion was confined to the caso so, far ns 'it concerned tho officers onty, and to the 'hours of work. The guild insisted upou its claim for overtime pay, and this tho shipowners' representatives could not grant. It was decided to leave final decision as to what should bo done by either side in abeyance. Both parties will meet to-dav to confer, with their. representatives on" tho committee, and thero may be another conference.