BONUS FOR STEWARDS

Dominion, Volume 14, Issue 80, 29 December 1920, Page 9

BONUS FOR STEWARDS

TEN SHILLINGS A MONTH GRANTED

COMMENT BY JUDGE BTRINGER _j . i The Cour.t of .Arbitration hns announced its decision on the recent application of the Marino Cooks and Stewards' Union for a monthly bonus of £2. A general order that a bonus of ten shillings a month should bo paid has been made by the Court in awards covering the stewards, galley staffs, and 'similar employees on coastal vessels, this proviso covering; stewardesses in each case. All other workers—cadets nn'd assistants—are ,to be paid a bonus of 3s. Gd. a month.

His Honour Mr. Justice Stringer, in a memorandum attached to the-award, is definite on the question of the special character of the employment of the workers concerned. He states: "Considering the special character of the employment of these workers, and the substantial increases in pay that have been from time to time granted, either by agreement or by awards of tho Court, increases that have fully compensated the workers _ for the increases in the cost of living' since the outbreak of war, the majority.. of. the Court had considerable doubt whether it should not dismiss' the present application.'-. . . The' bonus granted is not quite equivalent to the bonus of 3s. a week granted to workers in industries properly so called. The majority of the Court is of opinion that inasmuch as the workers in this instance are supplied with food and accommodation by the employers; it is manifestly inequitable that the latter should be com•pelled to nav the full bonus representing the increased cost of living to the workers, when part of that increase, by the nature of the employment, already falls upon them. The Court has not always recognised this principle in dealing with bonus applications in the case where worker? are supplied with board and lodging by their employers—for instance, in the hotel workers' award-but the question i' open for consideration in any future case. Mr. M'Cnllough dissents *rom this decision in that ho thinks tho full amount of the recent bonus should have been allowed." , s ' .„ It is understood that the stewards will reopen the question niier tlw holiday season has ended, and the Seamen's' Union, which is also asking for .£2 a .month extra, will meet the employers in conference on January 11-