SHIPS' OFFICERS.

Dominion, Volume 4, Issue 1244, 28 September 1911, Page 5

SHIPS' OFFICERS.

A REPLY. WHAT THE EMPLOYEES SAY. At a meeting of tlio oxeculivo of tho Wellington branch of tho Now Zealand Shipowners' Federation hold yesterday evening Mr. W. Pryor (tho secretary) was instructed for public information to deal with tho statement published in yesterday morning's Dojhxion as tho views of members of tho Merchant Service Guild. Rates of Pay. Tho federation is of the opinion that tho shipowners havo much more to complain of than tho officers can possibly have, feeing that tho Court has awarded wages in excess of those- paid in any similar service in tho world. The rates of pay asked for by tho guild were higher than these paid in any other service, and considerably higher than those awarded by Mr. Justice Higgins in tho recent Commonwealth award for vessels of 1000 tons and under, which was received with expressions of delight by the Merchant Service Guild. Tho Wellington employers based their claims for a tonnage classification on awards made for similar services in Auckland and New South Wales, and offered rates of pay at least equal to the best in either case. In Auckland and New South. Wales tho rafts of pay range from .£l2 to ,£ls per month for ciiicf officers, and from £3 to .£l2 for second officers, according to tonnage. Tho employers' proposals in the present case were from .£l3 lo .£ls for chief officers, and £9 to .£l2 for second officers. The Court in its award discarded tho classification proposals, and awarded what cmplojv.rs consider the extreme rates of .£ls for chief officers and .£l2 for second officers. Considering that tho classification a.nd wages in Auckland wero agreed to by the guild only last year, tho employers thought they had reason to expect similar conditions being mado to apply here.

Overtime. , The guild's claim for overtime was unjust as it is not paid anywhere elso in the world under similai conditions. In tho Ivow South Wales dispute the guild itself agreed as to the impracticability and unfairness of attempting to provide for payment of overtime for officers. While it was admitted in the present case that long hours have to he worked in somo cases, tiio claim that anything like twenty hours a day was of frequent occurrence was entirely disproved. The returns put in bv tho guild drew from tho Judge a remark to tho effect that tho Court did not count time while men wero asleep as time worked. General.

As regards tho victualling and transfer clauses, bath these clauses as they appear in tho award are exactly what worn agreed upon .by .representatives of both parties when they last met in co-ifercntv, just previous to appearing before tho UraTt. The guild scores a clear gain in holidays, and tho "hours of work" and work in homo port" clauses must be beneficial to the otlicers. Tho guild's evidence beforo tho Court went to show that not much could be done in tho way of altering existing conditions. One after another of its principal witnesses stated in answer to questions that they could not offer any practicable suggestions of improvement, while of two men who had b?en years in tho trade, one said he knew of no better seafaring service, and would not leave it to go into another; the other said ho would not leave the Wcllinr-ton coastal service to enter either the intercolonial or Commonwealth trade if ho were offered .£IOO a month. These were witnesses put forward by the guild to prove that considerable changes and alterations were neecssaTy. Only plain facts are stated above, and they go to show that there is no justification for any. movement to bring about a dislocation m the service.