Marine engineers put case for margin

Press, 13 June 1979, Page 12

Marine engineers put case for margin

’I PA Wellington ;| Marine engineers needet : i margins of 20 to 88 per cent Jover engineroom ratings i; _! their skill and responsibilitj ■(were to be properly re[l warded, a Govermnent-ap -•pointed commission was tolc .1 yesterday in Wellington. i The commission of three I appointed by the Minister oi Labour (Mr Bolger) started its inquiry into maritime ;lpay rates and relativities I With only two of the four -'maritime"unions represented. :■] -The seamen, and cooks (and stewards, are boycotting jithe inquiry, which is headed -by the former Industrial . Commission’s chairman, Mr t G. O. Whatnall. s The commission has to 5 look into and make ■•ecommendations on, -wages, increments, allowances, leave, and travel arrangements for " shins’ crews from the captain down. The Institute of Marine and Power Engineers, vvaith struck twice in February because it alleged margins for skill and responsibility had been eroded, made its submissions yesterday. The inquiry was set up after the Railways awarded increases of 15 to 40 per cent to the engineers. Earlier the institute had withdrawn from negotiations for the composite maritime iagreement, which settled on • a 10.5 per cent increase. When the engineers re-

fused to give up the mreases pending the inquiry, he Government passed egulations giving them the (0.5 per cent accepted by he other unions.

An executive member ot ■he institute (Mr A C. dear) read a 40-page submission to the inquiry. Mr Clear said that the skill and responsibility of engineers were inadequately •ewarded compared with the pay rates for semi-skilled engineroom ratings.

In a shore job an engineer would enjoy a margin of 20 per cent over a semi-skilled

worker. At sea, the margin had slipped to the stage where a junior engineer earned 10.2 per cent less than a motorman's hourly rate.

A chief engineer’s wage advantage over the highest paid semi-skilled seaman had dropped 22.5 per cent over five years, he said.

The institute says the margin of a master over a chief engineer should be reduced from 5 to 7 per cent to 2 per cent. A master should have a margin, but it should be adjusted, Mr Clear said.