SEAMEN'S EARNINGS

Evening Post, Volume XCIII, Issue 95, 21 April 1917, Page 13

SEAMEN'S EARNINGS

TO THE EDITOR. Sir,—With reference to the paragraph in the shipping column of your issue of the 14th inst., embodying some comparative figures gathered by the secretary, of the Merchant Service Guild—Mr. M'lndoe—appertaining to monthly earnings of seamen and deck officers during March, it seems to me that 'the secretary in question would be adapting his time to superior advantage in publicly putting forward the legitimate and genuine rights of the men he represents in lieu of resorting to childish comparison, which seemingly indicates a shedding of large tears because the much hard and overworked seaman is now in receipt of a little more of what he produces—profits.

Respecting the examples, No. 1, in which a lamptrimmer is quoted at £30 for a month (I regret it was not £50), it is fairly apparent that this refers to a small steamer largely engaged in tendering oversea ships anchored in the Napier roadstead, during which time the wages of the crew under the seamen's agreement with shipowners cease, and the men are p^iid the ordinary and overtime rate ruling at the port for waterside workers, and it is quite possible that No. 2 is a similar case, with a lesser degree of tendering, the amount being £25; No. 3, applying to three or four seamen, at about £18 each per month, Now, under the agreement of the Federated Seamen's Union with shipowners, the wages of a lamptrimmer is £11 per month, and that of a seaman a similar sum, the overtime in each.instance being. 2s per hour, so that the lamptrimmer earning £30 would work 190 hours in overtime during the month, and, adding to that 216 ordinary hours of labour of eight houre per day for the 27 working days, he worked a grand total of 406 hours for the month, or an average of 15 hours each day. The man who earned £25 would work 140 hours in overtime, or, with 216 ordinary hours, a grand total of 356 for the month, being a fraction Jess than 134 hours' each day, while the seaman earning £18-worked 70 hours in overtime, or, with 216 ordinary hours, a grand total of 286 for the month, being an average of lOf per day, so it will-be seen that in each of the three examples the men worked respectively for a month of 27 working days 406, 356, and 286 .hours, and, to earn the amounts quoted, these men are compelled by legal enactment and at the aweet will ,of the master and deck officers to most laboriously slog* their insides out night and day with little or no rest (and wh^t'they do get is broken), while 95! per cent, of deck officers enjoy three watches of four hours on and eight off at sea; twothirds of the time in ,port are off duty, and when the lamptrimmer and seaman are performing the hard graft in surfing and otherwise handling cargo walk around with their coats on and their starched shirts and -collars, gold braid and brass burtons perfectly adjusted. Now, I am not in any way concerned with the total sum any man may earn in a month, and to me it don't matter whether it be / thirty or a hundred pounds, but I am concerned in seeing that every working man and woman is paid a proper remuneration in wages and j overtime for ,the services . rendered the employer. After taking into acconnt the nature of the occupation and the many hardships endured, I am not convinced that £11 per month and 2s per hour in overtime for a lamptritnmer or seaman is by any means excessive. If I the deck officer is convinced that his organisation —the, Jilerchant Service Guild—is not doing sufficient to conserve his interest, and evidently Mr. M.'lndoe .j is, it is an easy matter for him to abandon the gold braid and brass buttons and enter the .ranks of the men where £30 is being earned. In the meantime, Mr. M'lndbe is asked to state the monthly wage paid the deck officers quoted in. his three examples, because I am positive it is much in advance of £11 per month.—l am, etc., ; W. T. YOUNG, ;'',. ■ General Secretary, Federated Seamen's Union, IBth April, 1917. " / .