COOKS AND STEWARDS

Evening Post, Volume CXII, Issue 64, 13 September 1926, Page 10

COOKS AND STEWARDS

COASTAL WORKERS' DEMANDS

INCREASED WAGE SOUGHT.

The claims of marino coastal cooks and stewards in respect to matters not agreed upon in the Conciliation Council were heard by the Court of Arbitration to-day. His Honour Mr. Justice Frazer

presided.

The parties wero the Cooks and Stewards ' Union of New Zealand, for whom Messrs. E. Kennedy and W. Walsh appeared, and the Union Steam Ship Company, Ltd., for whom Messrs. W. G. Smith", G. Norman, and H. Whyte appeared. The wages claims were for all workers in the providore department of ships, from chief stewards to cadets, and ratings were asked for, as chief stewards of passenger and cargo vessels were now members of the union. It was asked to havo inserted in the award wages and other provisions for laundry stewards, laundresses, extra second stewards, linenkcepers, and steerage pantrymen. The wages claimed were: —Chief steward of foreign-going, intercolonial, trans-Pacific, South Island, or ferry steamers, £28 per month; chief stewards of coastal steamers, £24; stewards in charge (cargo steamers) of foreigngoing, intercolonial, trans-Pacific, or South Sea Islands, £22 10s; stewards in charge of coastal steamers, £21 10s; second steward, £17; extra second steward, £16 10s; chief saloon steward (head waiter), either saloon, £15 10s; steward in charge of second saloon in vessels in which three classes of passengers are carried, £17 10s; first-grade assistant steward employed either as bedroom stewards, saloon waiters, printers, or buglers, if acting as either bedroom stewards or saloon waiters, bathroom stewards or messroom stewards, or storekeeper, £15; forecabin stewards, £16; laundry steward, £16; laundress, £12; linenkeeper, £17; second-grade assistant stewards employed either as assistant forecabin stewards, boots, main-deck steward, officers' steward, or assistant pantryman £14 10s; pantryman either saloon or steerage, £16; second pantryman, where threo or moro pantrymen ait; carried, £15; assistant stewards, cargo, £14 10s; nightwatckman, £16 10s; cadets, under 17 years £8 10s, 17 to 19 years £9 10s; 19 to 21 years £10 10s; stewardess, £ 12; assistant stewardess, £11; forecabin stewardess, £12.

Mr. E. Kennedy, secretary of the union, opening his case, drew a comparison by tho Australian and New Zealand Courts, and instanced differences that would be paid Makura workers if she were on Australian articles. They were asking for the lowest paid worker (steward) £14 10s. Taking a month of 30 days at eight hours a day, that was equal to ls 2Jd per hour. Compared with the wage paid unskilled workers, this could not, contended Mr. Kennedy, bo deemed an extravagant demand.

Allowing £4 per month for food and lodging, the hourly wage would be ls 6.1 per hour, below what the Court awarded unskilled workers, Mr. Kennedy said, and if the wage were worked out on the hours worked uuder the award, the hourly wage would be less. Mr. Kennedy claimed the wages paid to other unskilled workers on ships, such as trimmers. As regarded cadets, he pointed out that tho wages paid by tho Union Steam Ship Company wero some £2 less in each grade than paid by other coastal companies.

HOURS AND HOLIDAYS,

Tho eight hours of work claimed

were:—

At sea.—Within 14 consecutive hours between 6 a.m. and 8 p.m. on passenger vessels; within 12 consecutive hours between 7 a.m. and 7 p.m. on cargo vessels. The hours were to be deemed continuous unless the steward had less than a two-hour break during tho fourteen hours. ,

In pressing for the eight-hour day, it was stated that overtime would have to bo paid if insufficient hands were carried to do the work in the time, but the employers have a "quick and ready remedy at hand to recoup themselves and that is by increasing the fares.

It was claimed that hours in port should not exceed eight, in both passenger and cargo vessels, without the payment of overtime. It was demanded that existing clauses dealing with overtime in port should be deleted or re-drafted.

Special clauses were sought in respect to Sundays, holidays, and excursions.

(Proceeding.)