MEN OF THE SEA.

Dominion, Volume 5, Issue 1347, 26 January 1912, Page 6

MEN OF THE SEA.

THE NEW AGREEMENT. MORE MONEY AND LESS.WORK : PREFERENCE GRANTED. The following is practically {lie full text of the agreement arrifcd at on Wednesday between tho Federated Seamen's tioion'-of Australasia and shipowners in New Zealand, in respect to wages-and conditions of. employment for deck and stokehold hands;— WAGES. Tho following shall be the rates of iv&ges which shall be paid by the steamship owners respectively to the men employed by them respectively, that is to sayßoatswain, J59 per month; quartermasters, «£8; . lamp-trimmers, .£8; lamprfrimmex and able seaman, .£9; ablo seamen, -,£8; ordinary seamen (18 years Mr'over), J26;. ordinary feamon (under IS years),. JE5;* donkeym-Jn (four-hour watchcs), £11; donkeynen (six-Lour watches), -' . JDJ2*. .. iirsmcn .(four-bour watches)., .£10; Srenien (six-houT watches), .£11;' Breasers (four-hour watches), ,i' 10; greasers (sis-hour watches). .£11; trimmers (four-hour' watches), trimmers (six-hour, watches),. ..til; storekeepers, £10; storekeeper and greaser (four-hour watches), >£10; storekeopor and greaser . (six-hmir .£ll. Payment of Wages.—All .wages, 'including 'overtime, shall'be paid on the first day. of each calendar month, or. within seven clays after, or as soon after tho flewn. .days as the vessel arrives at any IX)rt where there is a branch of, any bank. / PAYMENT OF OVERTIME. . Overtime shall be paid at the'following Tates lor the. various', classes' of work mentioned herein, namely:—Boating cargo,iii, roadsteads, is.'9d. per hour; Working cargo, Is. (id. per hour; cleaning, chipping, and scaling inside boilers,, cleaning backs, tubesj and uptakes, Is. 6d.. per hour; other .classes of work, Is. !ld. per hour; ordinary teamen,* for all classes of work, except boating cargo, Is. per iiour. . Note—Working cargo 'means shipping, discharging,"or'.otherwise handling cargo, or driving'winches or hydraulics, attending yardarms, attending hatchways, shipping or unshipping batches, or keeping steam :on donkey or main boilers'for. cargo purposes.. Optional Overtime. — -It- shall be optional- for any ..member; of the .crew to . work, overtime ' between . 5 p.m. and. 7 a.m. at tho following ports, provided one-fourth of the crew, but not less than a minimum of two deck-hands and,one in the stokehold and engineroom department,-remains on hoard.- Sydney, Melbourne, Adelaide,, Auckland, .Wellington, Lyttelton, Dunedin, or at, his home part. Each , man when joining .the ship to declare'his borne-port on the articles. > Overtime ' On • Sundays and Holidays.— When a vessel leaves - any ofthe main ports on any Sunday or holiday each member of the crew to be paid an extra day's sea-'pay. Should a vessel leave more than one port on a Sunday or a holiday, one day's sea pay only to be allowed. In addition to the one day's soa pay, any men actually employed at work while the vessel is in: port on the Sunday' or" holiday, shall be paid overtime at the schedule rate for time so employed. ' . " ' ■ EXCURSIONS.' When a vessel is employed on an excursion or special work on a Sunday or a holiday each member of the crew shall lie paid Is. per hour for the time tho ship is so employed, with a minimum payment of 4s. Any men actually employed at work while the vessel is in port, either before or after the excursion, (shall bo paid overtime at schedule rates for the time so employed. If the excursion includes any of tho main ports hereinafter named, the: extra day's soa pay shall not be payable in addition to tho payment provided for tho excursion. SHIFTING SHIP. Where a seaman is reqnircd for shifting ship at night in port, his overtime shall bo reckoned from* the time that he has come on deck, or attend, until tho shifting is over, or until he is released from attendance. Each shift shall be treated as occupying ono hour at tho least, and any clcdring of the decks shall be reckoned additional overtime work. This clause does not apply to a donkoyman so far as ho performs the (unctions of a d.onkeyman in aiding the jiiift.

When a vessel is steaming between ports, and the time occupied in steaming is ono hour or under, the deckhands deemed to have the watch below shall be paid overtime for the time the vessel is so engaged; but if the men are not turned out at a port of call, no overtime shall be payable under this clause. ' Shifting ship .between Dunedin and Port Chalmers' is excepted from the provisions of this clause. ' .

Time Off.—lt shall be optional' for members of the crew to accept time off in lieu of cash payment for overtime. Time'off shall not bo given at sea,'or on Sundays or holidays. In the event of men having time off due to tlv?m which cannot conveniently be given before the end of the month in which it was,earned, it shall bo paid for at overtime rates. HOURS OF LABOUR AT SEA. Subject to the provisions of Clause 11: The hours of labour nt sea for deck hands shall be.watch and watch of four hours each, or by day work, as may be required by the employer; but utter Juno SO, 1012, the hours of labour at sea, for deck hands, employed in intercolonial anil South Pacific Islands, passenger and curgo steamers, which carry nine or more men on deck (exclusive of boys), shall bo not more than eight in a day, to be worked as may be required by the' employer. ' ; The . hour 3 of labour of firemen, greasers, and trimmers working four-hour watches at sea, shall bo watch and watch of fonr hours on ami eight hours off. except-. when vessels: are under reduced sjeioi in the manner Tcferrcd to in Sec-tion-31. 'Sub-section I, of the Shipping and Seamen Act, 1908. when portion of the crew may bo employfo on day work, if considered necessary by tho .chief engineer. SIX-HOUR WATCHES. On,steamers running short trips, and on steamers where only two firemen, greasers, or trimmers are carried, the hours of labour at sea shall be watch and watch of six hours on and six hours off. Between the hours of G a.m'. and 5 p.m. on intercolonial ships carrying less than nine men on deck \excliisive of boys), and on coast-il stealers, teamen on .watch shall perform any work required of them. Any work performed by them outside these hours shall be paid for as overtime,, with tho following exceptions, namely—(l) Work necessary for the navigation or safety of the ship; (2) Clearing decks, stowing cargo gear, for quarter of an hour after leaving port. (3) Taking in and coiling down lines after departure. (!) Any work nacessary /or the convenience hi' passengers. A- seaman .shall, outside his hours of labour, and without payment for overtime, assist when required in the mooring or unmooring of a ship, and attend, when required, any boat drill, firo drill, of medical inflection in port, ami do any work that is required of him for the safety of tho ship. HOURS OF LABOUR IN PORT. Deck Hands.—The hours of labour ol deck hands in all ports, bays, and roadsteads, shall be eight, between the hours of 7 a.m. and 5 p.m.; sea watches, nn days of arrival and ri-or." rhp-n. °m-.!! ■-—«' a < • portion of the eight hours, except ivhen tho ship arrives and leaves tnu same port on the same day, when the eight hours of deok hands may'be worked; any timo during (ho twenty-four hours; sea watches to count as portion of tho eight hours. Stokehold and Engine-room —(1) The hourj of labour of all stokehold and en-gine-room hands in all ports, bays, and roadsteads shall be eight, between the hours of 7 a.m. and 5 p.m.; sea watches on days of arrival and departure shall ronnt as portion • of tho eight hours. (2)" When .a vessel arrives in port on any day, and is to remain in port overnight, and provided tho vessel remains in port no fewer than eight hours, the watches of stokehold and engine-room.

hands shall be broken on arrival, and the eight hours' work Ehall be completed between 7 a.m. and 5 p.m., provided that, in the event of nrgent work, the men shall continue on watch if. required. The donkeymau, or, failing him. another man, shall also remain on duty to attend boilers, lights, and pumps. (:i) When a, vessel arrives in a port and leaves ngain the fame day, or within eight: hours, watch and watch of stokehold and engine-room hands may bo continued. ('1) Tho hours of labour of stokehold and engine-room hands working sixhour watches in all potts, bays, and roadstead.", shall be eight, between the hours of 7 a.m. and 5 p.m.; sea watches on.tho days of arrival mid departure shall count as portion of tho eight hours. The provisions of this clause as to sea watches counting in tho eight hours in port on days of arrival and departure for dork hands are not to come into force .until July 1, 1012, but existing practices a.s to the morning watch below in port are to' continue in force until that date.

On Sundays and holidays in port, the seamen shall (unless for overtime payment) be free from labour, except, tho washing of decks or the decorating of tho ship between 7 a.m. and 8 a.m.

Night Watch;— The hours of any seaman acting as nightwatchman in port shall be from 8 p.m. to 6 a.m. "For acting as nightwatchman, he shall be grantfa eight working "hours off in port on the next day, if it is not a Sunday or a holiday. If he does not get eight hours off, he shall bo paid an extra sum of eight shillings. l''or. short or broken watches kept between tho above-named hours, or for any balance of time off due, he shall be paid one shilling per hour. ~. If he be required to assist in shifting ship he shall be paid an extra sum of eightpence for each shift. ■Anchor Watch.—When an anchor watch is kept between the hours of 5 p.m. and 7 a.m., the men so engaged shall be paid overtime at the rate of Is. per hour for the time employed, or an equivalent time allowed off in port. HOLIDAYS. The crews of all vessels shall be entitled to the following holidays in port, viz., New Tear's Day, Good Friday, Enster -Monday, Sovereign's Birthday, Labour Bay, Christmas Day, and Boxing Day. If any of. the following holidays be spent wholly at sea, each seaman' shall be entitled "to a day off ashore at the home port within one month thereafter, or to an extra day's sea, pay. The holidays are:—Christmas Day, Boxing Day, New Year's Day, Good Friday, and Easter Monday. ■Whenever any vessel arrives at her terminal port on the day before, or ■pri-cr to 10 a.m. on Saturday, and is to remain in the same port'till after 6 a.m. on Sunday, tho firemen, greasers, and trimmers shall be allowed a half-holiday from 1 p.m. on Saturday, • provided the chief engineer can grant it without interfering with the necessary work of the ship.. Meal Hours in Port—The meal-time ■ allowed in port shall be—For breakfast: Anv one hour between 7 a.m. and 0 a.m. Fof dinner: Any one hour between 12 noon and 2 p.m. For tea (if working overtime): Any one hour between 5 p.m. and 7 p.m. The employers shali cause the quarters of the seamen to be cleaned every day, and (without prejudice to the generality of this direction) shnll commit the duty of cleaning each set of quarters to a steward or seaman.

Ashes'are to be discharged by the firemen or trim Tiers oii duty, otherwise overtime rates to be paid. Galley bunkers shall lie filled by firemen and trimmers during their watch on duty. SIGNINC OFF. . Twentv-four hours' notice on either side shall be'the law of discharge at the ship's final port of discharge in the Dominion. En'affments may be determined in the Dominion at any time after the ship's arrival at her final port of discharge, consequent on the completion of a round voyage, by twenty-four hours' previous notioo on cither side, provided that, with the approval of the master, and subject to his signing the agreement and the certificates of discharge, the chief engineer may..engage or discharge the greasers, firemenr'and- trimmers. ■'•••• ' FREE PASSAGES. Free passages shall be allowed under the following conditions:—(a) Should the master determine the agreement at any port other than that in which the man was first engag.'d, or if tho agreement expires by effluxion of time, any such discharged seaman shall be entitled to a free passage to the port where he was ■first engaged, by the first vessel proceeding to such 1 port, (b) This right is not forfeited by a seaman having entered into a new agreement with the master in the meantime, 'c) When a man is engaged at one port, and sent to another port to join the ship, he may claim a free passage to'the port-where he was engaged, if discharged by tha master, (d) Any mail discharged at any place other than the port at which ho originally signed the agreement, even though the contract shall ■be to discharge him elsewhere, shall be ■given a free passage back to his said port of shipment by the first ves=el proceeding to such port, (e) Where it is not possible .to. provide a free passage by steamer, the employer, shall provide a second-class railway passage within forty-eight hours of the man's discharge. Sundays and holidays not to count in such period of fortyeight hours, .(f) Should a man be discharged at his own request, he shall not be entitled to, a free passage.

It shall not be compulsory for an employee to subscribe to or become a member of any benefit society or club instituted by any employer. The deck hands shall provide themselves with tho uniform of tho employer, and wear it as and when required, but the employer shall supply the necessary badges and trimmings. PREFERENCE. Employers shall, in the engagement or subsequent employment of seamen, givo preference to those members of the Federated Seamen's Union of Australasia who are not moro than three months in arrears with their contribution to tho said union. Provided that any such unfinancial member shall again become eligible for employment on payment of his arrears .without any fine in addition. Should thero not be a sufficient number of such members available when required, then and in such case the employers may engage or employ other men, conditionally that they shall become and remain members of the said union during tho currency of their employment. The entrance fee and subscription to become payable on first pay-day after joining the ship, when it shall be paid to the delegate on board, or the secretary of any branch of tho union.

Members of the union presenting themselves for employment shall produce their union book to the employer prior to engagement, to show that they are members not moro than three months in arrears with their contributions. Membership of the union shall lie opeu to any man of good character. Non-members at present employed on vessels to be allowed two months in which to become members of the union. The union undertake that tho maximum entrance fee and subscription shall not exceed twelve shillings, and four shillings per month, respectively, during the currency of. this agreement.

Any member or members wilfully missing their passage, wilfully misconducting themselves on board the ship, or wilfully impeding the 'voyage of the ship, shall bo liable to be dealt with in such manner us the union executive may decrde, provided that such men are not otherwise punished. RIVER AND EXTENDED RIVER LIMITS. Steamers trading within river or extended river 'limits, also tho steamers Gael, Kawau, Orowa, and Kotiti, while engaged in their present trades, shall be bound by all the terms of the agreement, except that the hours of labour (at sea and in port) shall be fifty-six per week, to be worked as may be required by tho, employer. TERM OF AGREEMENT. The agreement is to come into force on March 1, 1912, and shall remain in force until February 28, 1911, and thereafter shall continue in force until a now agreement is entered into. And it is further agreed that nothing herein contained shall apply to tho s.s. Aparima, and that tho agreement shall not bo converted into an award of the Court of Arbitration un-

less by the mntual consent of all the parties. MEMORANDUM. 'The employers accept the verbal assuru'rifcn of tho union that men who are nol members of (he union immediately become eligible fur employment a.s if already members of the union, \ipon paying lhe dclegalo of tho ship which they arc joiniug tho entrance fee required by the rules of tho union, not exceeding the maximum stipulated herein.