SEAMEN’S WAGES.

Evening Star, Issue 14688, 4 October 1911, Page 4

SEAMEN’S WAGES.

INCREASES ASKED FOE.

The hearing of the seamen’s claims against the Commonwealth Steamship Owners’ .Association was begun at Melbourne .yesterday, before the Federal Arbitration Court. The New Zealand Seamen’s Union is affiliated to the Australasian Federated Seamen’s Union, and New Zealand companies Save received copies of the men’s demands. The new claims provide for increased wages, preference to unionists, and higher - rates for overtime and for woric on Sundays. The old award expired in April of this year. A conference to discuss the claims will probably be held this month. The following table shows the rates of wages claimed and those provided for in the last award : —Wages.—

n3 rt g O eo p j t0.2 safe Bo’s’n, passenger boats £lO £8 Bo’s’n, other boats £9 Quartermasters £8 Lamp trimmers and able seamen £9 £8 Lamp trimmers £8 £7 Abie seamen £8 £7 First dans ordinary seamen £6 £5 Second class ordinary seamen £5 £4 Donkeymen, 4-hour watches £ll £lO Donkeymen, 6-hour watches £l4 £ll Firemen, 4-hour watches... £lO £9 Firemen, 6-hour watches... £ls £lO Greasers, 4-hour watches... £lO £9 Greasers, 6-hour watches... £l3 £lO Trimmers, 4-hour watches £8 £7 Trimmers, 6-hour watches £ll £8 Storekeepers £lO Storekeeper and greaser, 4-hour watches £lO £9 Storekeeper and greaser, 6-hour watches £l3 £lO First class boys £3 £2 Second class boys £2 10s £1 10s —Overtime on Sundays and- Holidays.—

When a vessel leaves any port, bay, or roadstead on any Sunday or holiday each member of the crew to be paid the sum of 12s. Should a. vessel leave more than one port on a Sunday or holiday the one sum of 12s to be allowed only. 'When a vessel is employed on an excursion or special work on a Sunday or holiday each member of the crow to be paid Is 6d per hour for the time the ship is so employed ; the minimum payment to be 12s per man. In the event of men being ordered on board for the purpose of an excursion, and fhe vessel does not proceed, each of the crew shall lie paid a minimum overtime of four hours at the rate of Is 6d per hour. If the crew, or any portion of them, are engaged while in port on a Rundav or holiday, overtime rates of pay shall bo paid to'the men so engaged in addition to the minimum of 12s specified in the first paragraph. No overtime to be paid for any work necessary for the safety of the ship at any time. —Night Watch. — The hours of any member of the crew doing night duty shall be from 8 p.m. to 6 a.m., from which he shall bo paid 10s or allowed 10 working hours off in lieu thereof, but such time off shall not be given at sea or on a Sunday or holiday. —Anchor Watch.— When an anchor watch is kept between the hours of 5 p.m. and 8 a.m. the men so engaged shall be paid overtime at the rata of Is per hour for the time employed, or an equivalent time allowed off in port before the end of the then month. —Holidays at Sea.— If the vessel is at sea on any of the following holidays—New Year’s Day, Good Friday, Easter Monday, Chrietmae Day, Boxing Day, or Sovereign’s Birthday—(») a day off ashore for each of such holidays to be allowed at the home port : (b) a day’s pay to be made in lieu of such day ashore ; Ic) if the vessel should not arrive at the home port within one calendar month of such holiday, or the crew or any of them are discharged before arrival at the homo port, the day’s pay to be made. —Saturday Half-holiday.— Notwithstanding anything herein contained, whenever any vessel arrives in ai y port on any day preceding or prior to 10 a.m. on Saturday, and is to remain in port till midnight on Saturday, the mew shall bo granted a half-holiday from 1 p.m. on Saturday. —Meal Honrs. — When men are worked through th n recognised meal hour they shall he paid one hour’s overtime, and allowed one hour for their meal in addition. When a vessel arrives between 7 and 8.30 a.m,. or between the hours of 11. a.m. and 12.30 p.m., the deck hands shall be allowed one hour for their meal after the vessel’s arrival. When half an hour only is .allowed for the meal, each man shall be paid one hour s overturn!. In the event of'overtime being worked after 6 p.m., one hour shall bo allowed for tea from 5 p.m. to 6 p.m. If overtime- is to be continued after 11 p.m. the men shall bo allowed one hour for supper, in accordance with the provisions applying to the wharf laborers in the port whore the ship is working. In the event of there being no regulation governing the supper hour, the crew must be allowed one hour lor supper, between 10 p.m. and midnight, and in each instance the ship shall supply the meal. —Preference of Employment.In the engagement of crews or individual members thereof the shipowner shall at ail times give preference of ernplovment to financial members of the Australasian Federated Seamen’s Union who are not more than throe months in arrears with their contributions. Most of the clauses in the union’s scheduled demands not included in the foregoing are similar to those in the existing award.