WITHDRAWAL OF WAR BONUS

Press, Volume LXXXIII, Issue 25177, 7 May 1947, Page 5

WITHDRAWAL OF WAR BONUS

MARITIME WORKERS’ WAGES REPORTED TERMS OF SETTLEMENT (From Our Industrial Correspondent.) WELLINGTON, May 6. With the war finished 16 months ago in the Pacific, the New Zealand maritime workers' war risk bonus and war risk gratuity totalling £l2 a month are about to be cancelled; but if the Cdurt of Arbitration and the Government ratify an agreement now reached between the maritime unions and the employers the principal groups within the industry will suffer little, if any, reduction in income. Some may enjoy increases Mr F. P. Walsh, president of the Seamen’s Union, who was principal negotiator for the workers, has been largely responsible for an agreement of considerable advantage to' the unions. No official report is yet issued. as the details of the settlement with the employers have first to go before the Merchant Officers’ Guild, the Seamen’s Union, the Cooks’ and Stewards’ Union, and the Marine Engineers’ Institute, and will go forward simply as recommendations to the Government, after wljich it will still be necessary to place them before the Arbitration Court for ratification. The agreement is understood to provide for an increase of £4 a month in wage rates, and a sea-going bonus of £6 a month Though the total would thus be £lO instead of £l2 a month as in the war years, with the £4 added to wage rates the total of overtime pay would be considerably increased Seamen and cooks and stewards earn a good deal of overtime and would thus be at an advantage over masters and officers ' Long Discussions Likely The masters and officers have agreed to withhold their resignations because of the progress made towards a settlement of their dispute over wages.. Now that the war bonus and gratuity issue has been settled they have begun discussions with the Union Steam Ship Company, Ltd., of points in dispute in their new award Settlement is likely to take several weeks.

The greater part of the war risk bonus and gratuity ha.« during their currency been paid bv the Government, and the remainder by the employers. There is yet no report of the extent to which the Government may be asked to meet the cost. The war risk bonus for maritime workers was first introduced on August 1, 1940, when a bonus of £1 15s a month was payable by the employers. In February. 1941, the bonus for overseas vessels was increased to £4 7s, and for coasta) vessels to £3 7s. still payable by the employers On July 1, 1942. the war risk bonus was increased to £6 a month, the increase being recoverable from the Government. Then on May 1, 1943. a war risk gratuity of £6 a month was added, payable by the Government into national savings accounts for those eligible.

The war risk gratuity was payable only for time spent in a vessel m commission. It was not paid while vessels were on overhaul or off articles.

The £6 a month sea-going bonus which it is proposed to introduce in place of the £6 gratuity would most probably be payable on similar terms.