MASTERS & OFFICERS.

Evening Post, Volume LXXXI, Issue 85, 11 April 1911, Page 7

MASTERS & OFFICERS.

SEEKING AN AWARD. " DISPUTE BEFORE CONCILIATION COUNCIL. FRUITLESS DISCUSSION, 'A sitting of the Conciliation Council was held in the rooms of the Conciliation Commissioner to-day, to deal with the dispute between the Merchant Service Guild and members of the New Zealand Ship Owners' Federation having vessels registered in this district. Mr. P. Hally presided, and Captains Clunie i and Gibson represented tne guild as ■assessors, and Captain M'Arthui' and Mr. R. C. Renner acted in the same capacity for tho owners. Captain U. Watson, secretary of the guild, appeared for the guild, and Mr. Pryor for the owners. The guild asks that masters and of. fleers shall be paid at the following rates:— For vessels 1000 groee tramaaa and under: Master, £28 per tnontK}, chief ofheer, £18; second officer, £14*1 third officer, £12, In each year, it ia asked, every master and officer shall bo entitled to leave of absence on full sea pay. the master to a continuous period 1 of 28 daysj and the officers to a con-, tinuous period of 14 days. Every mas. ter, the guild further claimed, to bo entitled to bo absent from 4rs- vessel a* his home port from expiration of one hour after ship is safely moored until two hours before departure.-; duty not • rV^i* 1c1 ci S kt honj * pea* day, wi£h liability tor duty at any titno-; if work done outside eight hoars to be paid far at the rate of 5s per hour in- ibe case of masters, and 2s 6d in the ca#j of officer*, lhere were some additional demands of minor importance. When the first clause, in, the dispute was called on, Mr. Pryor explained thais nearly aH the owners cited wore owners of small vessels. The conditions asked' for by the guild were conditions applicable jto large ocean-going vessels. ±ne Federation had already intimated that they cannot discuss the claims on the basis laid down by the guild. Th« federation was absolutely unable* to acr«« to one award covering officers and masters. _ For that reason they were unable to discuss the claims made in respect, of masters. AWARD IN AUSTRALIA. Mr. Wateon said Mr. Pryor had n«wea? put anything forward in respect of objection. Mr. Justice Higgms ia &u&■tralia had laid down ail award for.-inas-"ters and officers. M.r. Pryor : Can, you show, me - aa' a.w.&rd for a> similar trade? Captain Wai*on: Na; because that is the only on© in existence. Right throughout the world the masters and officers &vq legisfcered together TJ»ir ■interests axe identical. This is only a ■quibble. Mr. Pryor: Our point is that tii&in. t-erests of tile masters and th© officers are not identical. Th© iniereste of th© masters _ and the owners are identical. Ca-ptein Wateon : You have not show-n that by yonr treatment of them. Mr. Pryor repeated that the owners •w«re unable to consider the demands •so long its the masters were coupled with the officers. If th© guild vtas prepared to leave ths question of th« masters to th© Arbitration Cowrb they would dkcues the case of the officers. Mr. Hally : 1 suppose the masters ar« .members of the guild? Captain Waiteon: Yes; we a-re a registered society, and the two must be taken together. Mr. Hally: Has there been a gmeral desire expressed by tbo masters that 4hey should be included? Captain Watson: Yes. Mr. Pryor said at one time there wa* a Shipmasters' Association in Weffingion, but it had now become defnnck The members had joined the guild. When the Shipmasters' Association, was alive there was an understanding be-tw-eert it aaid the owners a« to rates of pay. Mr. Hafly (to Captain Waifcson);: You decline to proceed on behalf of tha officers only? Captain Watson : Wo cannot '"do it. SEPARATE ORGANISATION. ASKED FOR. After some further conversation Mr. Pryor stated that the owners did not object to an award for masters bo long as they were a separate organisation. The owners thought it was neither conducive to the good discipline of ships nor the proper protection,, of employers' interests for masters- and officers to be in one organisation. This was th© most important question in connection with the whole dispute. The simplest thing to do would be to Tefer th© matter t«| the court. Captain WaiaoD' remarked that two oTga-nEsa.tions did not exist at present. Mr. Pryor: It is quit© easy to rna&w them exist. Captain Watsott: No; it is not.There are, comparatively speaking, «uch a small number of masters that tk© «xpenses of mainbaiTDng a separate o*gsnisatian would bo far too great. Ira all patte of the worM the masters oodi officers are in one body. The tferioUi Company has agreed to it. Mr. Pryor: Has it agreed? | Captain Watson : Well, it las notSftedl thai it will meet us. It notified that to a deputation of masters a«<d officers. Mr. Pryor,: Our objection to the masters and the officers being in the same organisation would be r«mo I ¥»d if ■there vas mo question of an award for masters. We think the fact that both) are in the one organisation" i* a mistake.. In reply to Mx. Pryor. Captain Wa*-s eon etated that th© ptoporikmi of officers to masters was a-bottt three to one. Mr. Renner: The masters owe pv&dA-i cally controlled by the officers. Captain "Watson;: Oh! That i« a«S absurdity. M^. Pryor caM that botJu sides Jkhll put forward their views, and the simplest thing to do wouia be to refer the question to he court. If the court made am award in respect of masters the federation would loyally abide by, it. It wa* thereupon decided to »fer tkß dispute to the coarrt.