BRITISH SEAMEN'S WAGES

Evening Star, Issue 17924, 21 March 1922, Page 3

BRITISH SEAMEN'S WAGES

REDUCTION OF £2 A MONTH. COMMONWEALTH LINE HANDICAPPED.. Mr Justice Powers, in the Federal Arbitration Court last week, in u provisional judgment and award on a claim by tho Federated Seamen's Union of Australia for increised wagr;s and better conditions, confined his previous tentative award granting the members of the union an increase of £1 6s 8d a month on the old rates. It is therefore interesting to note that reductions are being made -in the wages of seafaring workers in every country throughout the world. Litest information brought by the Orient liner Orvieto, from London, shows that, after a month of negotiations and modifications in tho employees' proposals, the joint committee of representatives of the shipowners and seamen in Great Britain, created by the National Marino Board, had accepted a further reduction in wages as follows :

Saibrs, firemen, and stewards on foreigngoing vessels, £2 a month. On coasting vessels, 10s 6d a week. No official confirmation of the report lias yet been received by the Orient Company or the shipping master in Melbourne, but it ia pointed out that it is not usual to receive advice of reductions ir, wages made in Great Britaia except by letter through headquarters in Sydney, which obtains the information from London by mail. A general reduction of 10 per cent, in tko wages of maritime workers in Great Britain was mado in January, but that still further reductions were considered likely was evident from the fact that in tho crew's articles on the Orvieto, and on the other vessels which had left London for Australia since January a clauss was inserted providing that the men should agree to accept any reduction in wages agreed upon while on tho voyage to Australia. ~!■■•„ As steamers registered in Australia, _ including those of the Commonwealth Lino, compete with British steamers in the overseas trade, the following table, showing the new monthly rates of wages on British and Australian vessels is interesting:—

British. AustraliE in. A.B.s ... ■ ...£10 0 0 £15 16 8 Trimmers , ... 10 0 0 15 16 8 Firemen .. 10 10 0 17 16 8 Greasers .. 10 0 0 • 17 16 8 Stewards . ... 9 5 0 15 16 0 Cooks .■• - ... 11 0 0 21 0 0