INJURED WORKERS

Evening Post, Volume CX, Issue 32, 6 August 1930, Page 11

INJURED WORKERS

PAYMENT FOR DISABILITY

PROTEST FROM SEAMEN

A largely attended meeting of the members of the Federated Seamen's Union, held at the Trades Hall yester-' day, considered at length the report of the Commission, set up by the Government to inquire into and report on the statutes relating to compensation for accidents to workers. TJio meeting expressed tho opinion that many of the proposals contained in the report were igainst the interest of the workers of New..Zealand, particularly Clause (7) of the report, which proposes to reducethe weekly payments of a single seaman from £4 to £3 per week, and in addition reduce lump sum payments for permanent partial disability on the same ratio. In other words, a single seaman is to de reduced in both his weekly and lump sum payments under the proposal. The following resolution was unanimously carried:

"That this meeting of members of tho Federate Seamen's Union of New Zealand records its emphatic protest against the proposal contained in Clauso (7) of the Workers' Compensation Commission's report, whereby it is proposed to reduce the weekly payments of a single seaman who may have the misfortune of being thrown out of employment as a result of an accident, from £4, under tho present law, to £3 per week. We are. of the opinion that this proposal contains within it a scheme to reduce wages and divide the membership of tho trade union movement iuto two groups—married and single—thereby destroying the solidarity of the union in its fight to maintain and improve the wages and conditions of its members. Further, we call upon all trade unionists and our Labour M.P.'s to support us in outfight against this vicious wage reducing, union-splitting proposal becoming incorporated in the Workers' Compensation Act of this country."

In connection with the abovo resolution, a statement as to how the new assessment proposed by the Commission would work out in practice was made to a, "Post" reporter to-day by, Mr. F. P. Walsh, general president of the Federated Seamen's Union of New Zealand.

"Under the old assessment," said Mr. Walsh, "in the caso of a seaman meeting with an accident which loft him with a 75 per cent, total disability, whether he was single or married, and with or without dependants, and supposing he had 25 weeks total incapacity—receiving a maximum under the scheduled weekly payment of £4 — the value of his injury would work out at £706 16s 3d. Under the proposal of the Workers' Compensation Commission 's report, a married man with a wife and two children, and suffering the same disability, will receive £717 18s 7d as the value of Ms injury. A single man with no dependants, under tho proposed payment, with tho same injury, ■would roccive £641 7s 7d as the value of his injury. It will therefore be seen that a married man will Rain £11 2s 4d, while the single man will lose £05 8s Sri, making mi aggregate loss of £3;1 6h id."