FIREMEN-ONCE MORE.

Dominion, Volume 5, Issue 1627, 19 December 1912, Page 5

FIREMEN-ONCE MORE.

•'FANCY WAGES". WANTED,

THE MAPOURIKA STUCK UP*

Inconvenionco bo tho travelling public and others has been occasioned by tiirco fii omen who refused to sign on the Union Company's Mapotirika on Tuesday. From inquiries mado yesterday it transpired that the men in question signed oiF tho vessel lioro and did not want to go buck. The company endeavoured to procure other meu to tako their places, but wore unsuccessful until a. late hour last evening, when the Union Company wero successful in. enguifing. three hremen at tho ordinary ratu of wages. During tho evening, however, a, greaser remained ashore, and, after considerable delay, a passenger was found who was willing to take the position".' Tlio volunteer had been in the Solomon Islands trade, and had not been to his home in Eecfton for nino years,-and so was naturally anxious to get there. The Mapourika should have loft port at 4 p.m. on Tuesday for Nelson.and West Coast ports. This, however, she was uiiablo to do, and consequently her Nelson passengers were sent on by the Pateena and ftikau yesterday. Tho whole trouble was a question of wages and holidays at. Christmas and iNow lear. When they came up to sign the new articles, the three firemen in question asked "fancy prices," such as 12s. Cd. a day, and as high as 15s. a day, with 2s. 6d. on hour for overtime. According to their agreement, made with the various shipping companies last January, the rate of wages agreed upon was .£lO a month for four-hour watches, and ,£ll a month for ei.vhour watches, with overtime after eight hours' work. In thn faco ol this, the men have turned round and apparently broken the agreement, and held tho ship up. When spoken to on the matter yesterday, Mr. W. T. Young, secretary of tho bearaens Union,. eaid:-"Tho agreement onjy mentions the minimum wages, and says nothing about a maximum. When a man signs off a ship he cannot ba forced to tako another job if he doesn't want to. Tliun again if he thinks that the job is worth a higher wage—well, he can ask tor it, can't lie? 1 don't eco that the union, has any power whatever in the case-it rests with the men themselves." Proceeding, Mr. Young stated that there was serious discontent amongst members of his union on account of the Union Company paying off certain ships at Uinstmas time in order to save a few days pay. Another grievance was that ships which had been lying idle for months wero put into commission for a week or two at holiday seasons. This, it was contended, was looked upon as casual labour, because, if the men sign on a vessel under these circumstances, they might lose a constant job on others. Mr. loung also referred to the action of the Marino Department withholding discharges of men who had failed to join their fillips. He stated that they felt this punishment mostkeenly, for tho chances jvere that they had already been logged by the ship, fined for the offence, and had lost the pay already duo,to them. Thus they had been.punished three or four times for ono offence. Mr. Young stated m conclusion that he would not be surprised if the men did . not still tnrther manifestation of their irritation in the near future.

The Mapourika sailed for Nelson and West Coast ports shortly before midnight last night.