SEAMEN’S WAGES.

Taranaki Daily News, 13 January 1922, Page 4

SEAMEN’S WAGES.

AN INCREASE IN AUSTRALIA. APPLIES TO NEW ZEALAND By Telegraph.—Press Association. Christchurch, Jan. 12. Although no official advice has been received, the Superintendent of Marine at Lyttelton was informed to-day by a local delegate of the Seamen’s and Firemen’s Union that a flat rate of £1 6s 8d per month increase on seamen’s and firemen’s wages has been agreed to between the shipping companies and the union, Wellington, Last Night. Mr. W. T. Young, general secretary to the Federated Seamen’s ’Union, stated to-day that the Federal Court of Arbitration had made an increase in seamen’s wages of £1 Us 8d per calendar month as from December 21 inclusive. The arrangement was purely tentative, pending a final settlement of the whole dispute affecting Australian seamen, about the end of next month. Clause 43 of the New Zealand agreement provides that any increase nuMre in the wages of seamen in Australia shall be correspondingly granted in New Zealand from the date the Australian increase takes effect. Acting on that clause a communication was sent to the ship-owners on the 9th instant requesting that the wages of the New Zealand seamen should be increased as frem December 21, and also asking that those men who had signed off the articles since December 20 should be paid the difference between the rate now ruling and that which they were receiving. The period of the agreement under which the New Zealand seamen are working will expire on February 28 next, but in accordance with the law that agreement will remain in force until it is superseded by another. Whether fresh claims will be made on the ship-owners -for a new agreement is not definitely known yet.