MARINE ENGINEERS STRIKE

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LIV, Issue 155, 29 December 1911, Page 5

MARINE ENGINEERS STRIKE

THE KOONYA HELD UP. By Telegraph—Press Association. Dunedin, Last Night. The Koonya was docked at Port Chalmers yesterday for overhaul, but when the shore engineers were being mustered to work on board it transpired they had a grievance, and declined to work unless they received an advance of Is per day. The dispute reached an acute stage today, and work on the vessel was practically suspended. About 20 engineers are involved, all of whom are casual employees, subject to irregular spells of employment. Hitherto the rates of pay have been 10s and lis, and in some cases 19s per day, but the men now demand a minimum of lis per day and time and a half for overtime all round, except t*« present Sunday and holiday rate. The wages claimed arc said to be those ruling in Wellington. Having failed on a previous occasion to get what they wanted through the Arbitration Court, owing to the Union Company getting an exemption from the award, the men withdrew from the Arbitration Court and formed a union amongst themselves. So far the work on the vessel has been done by the engineroom staff, with assistance from one of the repair shops on shore, but it is just possible the men from the repair shop will withdraw out of sympathy with the strikers. At present there are no signs of a settlement.