THE COMMISSARIAT.

Dominion, Volume 5, Issue 1336, 13 January 1912, Page 6

THE COMMISSARIAT.

ON SHIPBOARD. WHAT HOURS AND WHAT PAY? A sitting of tho Conciliation Council was held yesterday to discuss the cooks' and stewards' dispute, Mr. 1\ ILally, Conciliation Commissioner, presided. Tho parties io the dispute were tho Federated Cooks and Stewards of New Zealand and the following shipping companies and shipowners:—Anchor Foundry and Shipping Company, 1,1 d., Nelson, Wairau Steamship Company, Ltd., Aorero Steamship Company, Wellington, Wellmeton-Wniiaanui Steam Packet Company, Ltd., Wcllington-Havelock Sounds Steamship Company, Ltd., l'atea Shipping Company, Ltd., JLioriland Steamship Company, Ltd., Wellington, Westlaud Shipping Company, .Ltd., Hokitika, Karamea Steamship Company, Ltd., Wellington, C. E. Pcrano, Picton, Captain Eckford, Blenheim, Richardson and Company, Ltd., Napier, J. C. Tonkin, Port Ahuriri, Levin and Company, Ltd., Wellington, Canterbury Steamship Company, Ltd.,' Cliristchurcn, Kaiapoi Steamship Company, Ltd., Karapoi, Westport Coal Company, Ltd., Dmiedin, Blackball Coal Company, Ltd., Christchurch. Mr. H. Marment appeared for tho Union, and Mr. W. E. Fuller (Levin and Co.) appeared for the Shipowners' Federation, and represented all the owners witli tho exception of Captain Tonkin and the Canterbury Steamship Co., Ltd. Agreement Arrived At. After brief discussion tho following agreement was arrived at:— 1. Tho following shall be the minimum wages paid to cooks and stewards respectively :—Chief stewards, £10 per month; chief cooks, ,£10; cook-steward, with assistant or assistants, X 10; cook-stcward, where no assistants are omployod, .£ll 10s.; assistants, «E1 10s. 2. For stewards the hours of labour in all ports shall bo eight (if required), between the hours of (1 a.m. and 7 p.m. Any time worked before or after tho a bore hours to bo paid for at the rate of Is. per hour. 3. For cooks tho hours shall be twelve, with one hour for breakfast and ono hour for dinnor. Tho twelve hours shall be from 6 a.m. to li p.m. Any time worked before or after the above hours to be paid for at the rate of Is. per hour. 4. For cook-steward tho hours shall be ten, between 6 a.m. and 7 p.m. Any time worked before or after the above hours to bo paid for at tho rate of Is. per hour. 3. The hours of labour at sea shall l>e eleven, between 5 a.m. and 7 p.m. , Any time worked bftforo or after the above hours-to be paid for at the rate of Is. per hour. G. For each full year of service eacli worker shall he entitled to ton consecutive days' holiday _on full pay at such time as is convenient to the "employer. The employer to havo the option to give payment at ordinary rates, in lieu of holidays. In cases where workers aro discharged or leave the service before tho completion of any twelve months they shall receive extra pay at ordinary rates, as under:—For over three months and under six months' service, threo days' pay; for six months and under twelve months' service, six days' pay. 7. "Cadets" shall mean and include men who havo not been to or served at sea for twelvo months. Cadets shall serve twelve months beforo being promoted, but shall not be promoted to full rating until after three years' service. 8. Employers shall not discriminate against members of the Federated Cooks and Stewards' Uniou of Now Zealand, and shall not, in the engagement or dismissal of men or in tho conduct of their business, do anything directly or indirectly for the purposo of injuring tho union. 9. When members of the union and nonmembers aro employed together, there shall bo no distinction between them, and both shall work together in harmony and under the same conditions, and shall receive equal pay for equal work. 10. Twenty-four hours' notice on either side shall be the law of dischargo ill the port 'whero tho ship has drawn out her articles, but should the ship bo laid up at any other port of the Australasian colonics, tho members of tlio providore department shall accept their dischargo with wages then due, but shall bo entitled to a freo passage back to tho final port. Engagement may bo determined in tho Dominion at any timo after the ship's arrival at the final port of dischargo in the Dominion, consequent on the completion of a round voyage, by 24 hours' previous notice on either side, all notices to bo given to and received from tho master of tho ship only. Any man' discharged at any place other than the port whero tho articles aro drawn out shall bo given a free passage back by the first vessel proceeding to tho home port or to tho place where tho ' men originally shipped. Should tho man: bo discharged at his own request, ho shall not be entitled to a p;issage back to his final port or the port whero the articles were drawn out. Tho - award will remain in force until June 28, 1911. Exemptions' Asked For. The commissioner stated that he had received a letter from Richardson and Co. asking for exemption for their smaller vessels, and also a letter from Captain Tonkin, asking for exemption for his steamer. Pending theso matters being dealt with, the agreement has not been signed. If the applications for exemption are continued, the agreement will bo filed as the recommendations of the commissioner and the applications will be heard by the Court of Arbitration. The new agreement differs from the old award in minor details only. Tho wages of a cook and steward, who has assistance, have been increased by 30s. a month, and the wages' of assistants by 10s. 'a month. In lieu of the statutory holidays fixed by tho old award, the new agreement provides for an annual holiday, or alternately a fixed sum of money.