SEAMEN AND LEVY

Dominion, Volume 24, Issue 63, 8 December 1930, Page 12

SEAMEN AND LEVY

No Seven Days’ Grace A SPECIAL PROBLEM Penalties of the Act DEPUTATION REFUSED The problem of the out-of-work seaman who lacks the money to pay his unemployment levy, thereby being debarred from future engagement, is one that the Seamen’s Union is likely to make a live issue. The Unemployment Board last week would not receive a deputation from the seamen on the question, holding that the board was already aware of all factors. Clause 21 of the Unemployment Act reads: —

(1) Every person shall be guilty of an offence punishable on a summary conviction by a fine not exceeding twenty pounds who at any time after the first day of December, 1930— (a) Employs in his service or continues in such employment for more than seven days any man who, being required to be registered under this Act, is upt so registered; or (b) Without the authority of the board, employs in his service for more than seven days any man who is in arrears for more than one month in tha payment of any instalment of the unemployed levy under the Act.

It will be seen from this that an employer is penalised if he employs a person exceeding a period of seven days who has not paid his poll tax. To avoid the penalties of the Act the shipowners have notified their officers that on and after December 31 no person is to be engaged who cannot produce a receipt for the payment of his poll tax. The ordinary employer on land may employ a man for seven days before being compelled under the Act to dismiss him if he has failed to pay his levy. The seafaring section of the workers, however, will be more immediately affected by the operation of the Bill than any other section. When a seaman is employed it is at least for a period of a round voyage, which exceeds the seven days’ grace allowed under the Act to shore employers. Owing to this the shipowners will not engage workers at all who have not paid the levy, thus avoiding any risk of penalty. “The seaman who has not paid cannot possibly obtain work, not even for seven days, such as other workers may,’ said Mr. F. P. Walsh, president of the Seamen’s Union, to a “Dominion” representative. “It was the exceptional, hardship inflicted on seamen that animated the union to ask the Unemployment Board to receive a deputation. “This refusal by the ‘Democratic Board, that vociferously reiterated their earnest desire to secure the cooperation of the trade unionists, is in direct contradiction to its professed policy,” continued Mr. Walsh. “It may be that the board is of the opinion that having the two Government appointees from the unions within its ranks no further knowledge or information affecting the workers need be obtained. On this point ihe Seamen’s Union wishes to record its emphatic disagreement. Seeing that the major portion of the sums that the board has under its control is subscribed by the workers, the seamen are of the opinion that all destitute unemployed workers should be exempt from tlie payment of the poll tax. ’ “The unemployed seaman, like every other unemployed worker, has no money (o buy food, clothes or shelter for bis wife and family, nor pay this levy, said Mr. Walsh. “Perhaps the two Government appointees from the workers’ ranks, Messrs. Bromley and Mcßrine, who are in a better position through their past connection with the Labour movement to appreciate the economic difficulties of this kind than the other members of the board, will explain to the vast army ot destitute unemployed where and how they can get the money to pay the levy.