SEAMEN’S AWARD

Greymouth Evening Star, 8 March 1924, Page 3

SEAMEN’S AWARD

UNION AV AGE CLAIMS.

(Per Press Assn.) WELLINGTON, March 7. In arguing ' the seamen’s union’s claims, before the Arbitration Court, in the maritime dispute, Mt T. Young, union secretary, claimed that when a man was employed for less than one month, his wage should be, for a deck hand, 15/4 per day; for an ordinary seaman, 11/4 per day; for an engineroom or stokehold hand, 17/4. For lightering frozen meat, wool or tallow to. a. ship in a roadstead, wages equivalent to those of a watersider were claimed. Where a ship on- New Zea-land-articles is wrecked on the passage of it, the cost of maintenance and wages should be borne by the shipowner until the man arrived at the port of shipment. When 'a vessel ■ left port on a Sunday, or a holiday, an extra day’s pay for the crew was asked. The following wages were asked Boatswain -11/8, quartermaster 11/, donkeyman 12/-, greaser 12/4, firemangreaser 12/8, fireman 12/4, .trimmer 11/. When a vessel was emploved on excursion or special work on Sundays-or holidays, Mr Young asked that each member of the crew be paid 2/ per hour, with the minimum payment of 5/; in the event of a man-being ordered aboard and the vessel not proceeding, each man to receive 8/ minimum.

Mr B. L. Hammond (for the shipowners) strongly opposed this, as prejudicial to the interests of the shipowners. A master was entitled to set the watches three hours before sailing. The Court adjourned.