SEAMEN'S WAGES.

Dominion, Volume 5, Issue 1340, 18 January 1912, Page 6

SEAMEN'S WAGES.

SHIPOWNERS AND MEN, CONFERENCE TO-DAT. The conference between steamship owners and representatives ■ of the Seamen's Union trill'bo opened at 9.30 o'clock this morning, with Mr. P. Jlally, Conciliation Commissioner, as Chairman. As already stated, this meeting is merely the resumption, of a conference held in' November last, at which a provisional agreement was drawn up after several days .of deliberation, and signed on behalf of both parties. ft was arranged that this agreement should continue in operation until a final agreement was arrived at, and the conference rose to sit again as soon as possible after the award of tho Federal Arbitration Court, declaration of which was expected within a fen - weeks, should have beon made known. Tho main features of the ogreeoient were that all ratings, with the exoepti.ni of ordinary teamen and iboys, obtained an advanco of 10s. per month in'wages, and that the ovcrtinio *as increased from Is. for ship's work and Is. 3d. ; for cargo work to Is. Gd. all round. This last was what the men demanded, Tout £1 per month was the lowest increase, ■of 'wages asked for, while for some positions as much as .£3 increase was asked. The Agreement. Following is the text of the agreement:— "Wellington, November 13, 1911. "Work shall bo continued under the award dated Dunedin, April 1, 1908; Auck- : land, April 4,-1908; Wellington, ApnLf, ISOB, with ■■ the .following provisional variations. - • i. .: provisional variations are to be ■binding until a new agreement between itho parties comes into r operation, and no longer. ' t "Tho provisional variations are: ■■ *"-(l\ Employers shall,' hi the ■ engagement' or subsequent employment of workers, give preference to those members of the Federated Seamen's "Union of Australasia who aro not moro than three months : in arrears with their contributions to the said union, provided that any such •nnfinancial member shall again, become Eligible for employment on payment of liis arrears without any fine in addition. Should there not be a sufficient number of such members' available when required, then in such-case employers may engage or employ' other ■ men, conditionally that they-' shall V.become.become ■ arid remain members of : the ; said'.union 'during the currency of their employment. The entrance fee, and'■ subscription'.'shall ; become.payable on-the,'first pay .day nfter joining the ship, whqn it shall bo payable to tho ileiegate "on ■ board, or to the secretary of' nny-branch of tho nnion. ..Members of the liriiqa-'iprcsejiting themselves for employment- shall: produce their union book to the employer prior to engagement, to show that they are members >iot riioro than throb months in arrear with their contributions. "Membership of tho union shall bo open to any man of good character. "Non-numbers at present employed in vessels aro to bo allowed two months in ■which,to become members of tho nnion. "The union nndortake that - the maxitatiin entrance fee and subscription shall not exceed 123., and. Is. per month, reflectively, 'during tha currency of. the agreement. '. . [Note.—Non-tmionists at present employed, aro to be allowod to remain until a.now agreement is made.! ... "(2) Tho. minimum wages to be paid to the various, employees mentioned in Clause 2-of the award above referred .to shall be increased' by 10s. per month, with the 'exception ;of ordinary seamen and boys.' , "(3) Wherever in Clause (4) of the said fl-ward the overtime Tate is mentioned at Is. or H. 3d., it shall be treated as Is. fid., with the exception of sub-Clause C, relating to ordinary seamen. ' "(4) ■ This agreement is without prejudice, to-either side, and is to come into force as from November 1, 1911." '■ Overtime. •Hie, following is the overtime clause of tho award as amended: — , Overtimo shall bo paid a3 the following rates, viz.:— (a;. To boatswains, lamp trimmers and A.B.'s, i.B.'s, donkeymen, greasers, Bremen, and trimmers, when employed at working .cargo, Is. Gd. •Note.—Working cargo means shipping, discharging, or. othenviss handling cargo, or driving winches or hydraulics, attending ; yardarm.s attending hatchways, shipping or unshipping hatches, or keeping steam on donkey or main boilers for cargo purposes. | . ' . (b) To any of the said men when engaged at'any other class of work except as .specified in paragraph (d) below, Is. (c) To ordinary 6eamen for all classes ef work, except as specified in paragraph (d). below, Is. (d) 1; To any of the said/men'when engaged in boating cargo in roadsteads in, tho months of January, Fobrnary, 'March, April, September, October, November, aud December, Is. 6d. 2. To any of the said men when engaged in boating cargo in roadsteads in the months of May, June, Julf, and August, Is.'3d. ,3. To any of the said men when en•gaged in. trimming coal at loading ports, Is. Cd,. Overtime of quartermasters shall bo computed -on, tho hasis of tho average overtime earned by A.B.'s driving winches and hydraulics in their respective vessels. 5. Boys shall hot be worked overtime. Wages. Following wero the monthly wages payable under the agreement:—. ~ • . '.'" - . ;l '■ "■'' ■' £s. Boatswains S 10 Lamp trimmers aud A.B.'s 8 10 Lamp .trimmers 7 10 Able seamen 7 10 First-class: ordinary seamen ..;... 5 0 Second-class ordinary seamen ....:. 1 0 First-class boys . :....- 2 0 •Second-class boys .....; I 10 Donkeymen, 1-hour-watches 10 10 Donkeymen. G-hocn\.watches 1110 Firemen, 1-hour watche3 0 10. Firemen, 6-hour watches 10 10 ■ ,Grcas:rs, -Hiolir watihes 9 10 Greasers, 6-hour watches ..'. 10 10 Trimmers. 1-hour watches 7 10 Trimmers, fi-hour watches 8 10 Storekeepers, or gre'asers r.nd storekeepers 9 10 , Greasers and storekeepers, G-hour watches ...10 10 The Claims. The claims of- the union as to wages are M folbw: — .Cs. tlo'smi, passenger steamships.... 10 0 liolsun, other steamships 9 0 Quartermasters ...; 8 0 ' Lamptrimmors 3 0 Lamptrirumers and able seamen 9 0 Able seamen ' 8 0 Ordinary seamen, Ist class li 0 Ordinary seamen, 2nd class 5 I) Doiikeynicn; 1-hour watches 11 0 Donkeymen, 6-honr watches 11 0 Firemen, 1-hour watches 10 0 Firemen, fi-hour watches 13 0 Greasers, 1-hour watches 10 0 Greasers, 6-hour watches 13 0 Trimmers, -1-hour watches S 0 Trimmers, 6-honr watches 11 0 These wages arc practically the rales granted'under the Australian award, hut they havo not been'nmended by tho union sinco the conference' sat in November. Oue other important claim is for an eight hours day for han<J3 working while the ship is in port. The owners met yesterday to consider the , demands and to find out what they really mean, and what, extra expenditure they would entail. They were engaged parti of tho day in filially settling with the wharf workers, and it was at their teeniest that the meeting with the seamen was adjourned until to-nay.