"CUSTOMARY"' WORK.

Auckland Star, Volume LVI, Issue 232, 1 October 1925, Page 10

"CUSTOMARY"' WORK.

ENGINEERS AND FIREMEN. ON COASTAL VESSELS. DECISION OF FIREMEN. Rumours of tbe possibility of coastal ves-ii-U '• »c-liiir affected by a difference of opinion I»t-tu••en firemen and engineers as to their amies, particularly wlnie the vessels are n. ]•■■'■ were continued yci--terday when two -"tamers, the Awahou and Waipu failed to leave at their schedule time and remained alongside tbe wharves. Tbe point in dispute is >-. he;brr the firemen shall continue to attend to valves and pumps as has been tbe custom in the past, or whether this duty stall be carried out by the engineers. According to the award covering tbe seamen it is provided that '•firemen shall look after auxiliary engines as customary," but tbe Maebinery Act sets out that '•only certificated men shall attend to machinery, or open valves."

Holding that their only duties are firing and the greasing of the auxiliary engines, the firemen, following a circular issued by the union, have decided not to do other than their own work, and that the engineers will have to attend to valves, which is part of the engineers' duties. The firemen contend that the engineer will have to attend to this work, not only while vessels aie at sea. but also while they are in port. In the circular issued by the Seamen's Inion the members are informed that the opening and shutting of valves, the starting and stopping of pumps, or any other auxiliary engines is the duty of an engineer, and instructed its members not to do any other work but firing and the oiling of the auxiliary engines.

The engineers took exception to the decision of the firemen, and at a meeting passed a resolution not to do work that has for years been carried out by donkeymen or their substitutes. However, that resolution was not put into general effect because a number of the coastal vessels sailed as usual vestei - day, and others are leaving to-day. Tiie position really only affects tbe work of engineer while vessels are in port. Not oniy in Auckland, but throughout the Dominion, is the decision of the firemen to apply, and yesterday it was put into effect at Wellington.