Ships’ engineers threaten strike

Press, 26 January 1979, Page 4

Ships’ engineers threaten strike

A claim by marine engineers for a pay margin above motormen instead of traditional parity with deck officers is believed to be behind a threatened stoppage of New Zealand-manned ships in two weeks.

Three maritime unions successfully negotiated new awards at the end of last year but the Institute of Marine and Power Engineers failed to conclude an agreement. The institute said yester- | day that unless agreement was reached in two weeks, members would withdraw their labour from all ships. Wellington sources said there was more behind the dispute than might be im-i mediately apparent but institute members declined to comment. Late yesterday it was not possible to ascertain whether] the proposed strike would be complete or selective, excluding the Picton-Welling-ton rail ferries and the Chat-j ham Islands supply ship ■ Holmdale. The New Zealand Shipping Corporation and the Union 1 Steam Ship Company are the most likely to be affect-{ ed. A strike would involve; coastal oil tankers. In an earlier statement.'

> the engineers said that their ; pay margins had been t eroded in different areas - since negotiations for com-' > posite awards had started, - some years ago. Engineers then sought ■i parity with deck officers, t giving the chief engineer the . same rate of pay as the r master and the second engineer the same as the I chief officer. : Sources yesterday said • parity had been achieved but, - since then award increases > for seamen had given some] motormen higher rates than ti engineers. ■] At subsequent negotiations I problems arose, mainly 7 in the rail-ferry service when a i percentage increase was; ■ i given to the maritime unions] ' after award talks. I New Zealand Seamen’s] /Union members received 8] rper cent. Members in the; ? rail ferries decided that able] ■ seamen should have only 3; Hper cent of the increase. The members agreed to al-, .'locate the remaining 5 per]

- cent to motormen and crew] i attendants in an attempt to] s(bring their wages up to the' ■ | able seamen’s rate. I, As a result of this internal' -union decision, motormen in] : - the rail ferries began to re- I .‘ceive a slightly higher rate] /than junior engineers. The engineers are said to! Lbe claiming a relativity to j -] maintain a traditional mar-' gin above motormen based] I on the highest-paid motor-] . man on the New Zealand] ; coast. This is seen as a departure from the basis of all ' previous claims by institute ; members for parity with 'deck officers. The employers have op,l posed the claim because of the added burden on the running costs of New Zea- / land-manned ships. >i Informed sources say that /a situation could develop '] where junior engineers ' claimed a percentage above motormen high enough to prompt deck officers to seek ■ {the same relativity.