SEAMEN'S DEMANDS

Dominion, Volume 13, Issue 98, 20 January 1920, Page 9

SEAMEN'S DEMANDS

CONFERENCE TO BE HELD SHOBTLY. The claims for a new agreement made by tho Federated §eanieu's Union of New Zealand are of a very comprehensive nature. In addition lo a demand for increased wages, the union is asking for consideration of the whole of the conditions with a view to considerable improvement, as tar as the men are concerned. The following table shows the rates of wages per lunar month now ruling? and the rates the union desire to j see adopted:— Now ~ ■•"=••'■•• ruling. Demanded! £, s. d. X s. v Boatswain 13 10 0 1G 0 0 Quartermaster .......... 12 10 0 15 0 0 Lamp trimmer 12 10 0 15 0 0 Lamp trimmers and '■ A.B. 13 10 0 1G 0 0 ■ Able seamen 12 10 0 15 0 0 Ordinary seamen (18 . and over) 9 0 0 11 0 ( Ordinary seamen (uii-' der IS) .' 7 15 0 9 15 0 Donkeynien 15 10 0 18 0 0 . Firemen '14 10 0 17 0 0 ■ Greasers . 11 10 0 17 0 0 Trimmers '• 12 10 0 15 0 I Storekeeper-greaser ... 14 10 0 17 0 ( Storekeeper 14 10 0 17 0 I ~ Fireman-greaser — IS 10 0 Crews' attendant ...... — -15 0 0 ; Tli© demand lor overtime is also considerably in excess of the present rates. One clause reads: "Where a seaman is j employed at work inside boilers during j his hours of labour he shall be paid 2s. per hour extra money, and if employed outside his labour hours 3s. Gd. per hour j overtime."'. In the existing agreement j there is no provision for such work. ( There are several other provisions relat-. j ing to tkp payment of overtime. Tho Lours of labour at sea should, it is pro- ] posed, .be fixed at eight, but many new , provisions are stipulated. The present , agreement states that the hours are to ' bo worked as may be required by the employers, but it' is not so in the' new demands. It is desired that there should in future l>e no broken watches. One clause in the demands Teads: "When at sea no unnecessary work, such as scouring, polishing bright work, naiuting, on washing paint, shall be performed in the euginerpom or stokehold." Another important provision proposes to reduce the hours worked in port tu eix, to be worked between 8 a.m. and 3 p.m. It is added: "If any man is ( called upon to work outside his hours I of labour in port ho shall be employed, ; or paid, for at least three hours." . At the present time, seamen provide their own bedding, etc., but a new proposal reads: "Seamen shall be provided with all eating utensils, bedding, blankets and sheeting, free of coS; sheeting to bo changed at ieast once in each week, or when the seaman leaves the ship and another is engaged iu his place, whichever first occurs. The eating utensils to be of a material other than tin i cnamelware, and all such utensils shall lio tho property of the employer.. . . : The accommodation clauses are of ; drastic nature. It is also desired that "when it it required to be worn the ship shall provide sefluien with uniforms, cap, ami trimmings, free of nli cost to the seamen." Thisi particular ciauso now reads: "The deck hands shall provide themselves with the uniform of tho employer, and wear it as and when required, but the employer shall supply the necessary badges and trimmings." Provision is asked for stop-work meetings of members of the union once in each fortnight should such be deemed necessary by the local union. A conference between the shipowners and the union will bo held at an early date.