ON BOARD SHIP

New Zealand Times, Volume XLIX, Issue 11305, 2 September 1922, Page 3

ON BOARD SHIP

SEAMEN ANB FIREMEN UNION’S CASE BEFORE) ARBITRATION COURT. COMPARATIVE WAGES STATEMENT. The hearing of the seamen’s and firemen’s dispute was continued before the Arbitration Court yesterday, when the seoretary of the Seamen's Federation, Mr VV. T. Youtag, continued his statement of the workers’ case. Dealing with the question of wages, Mr Young /aid that tne union was asking for rates similar to those provided in the wages clause of the Federal award. Tho seamen, ho said, had never received the first war bonus granted to other workers. When the cou-rt marlo the bonus declaration of November, 1920, the union presented figures to the shipowners at a conference showing that had the bomue been granted they would have been entitled to an increase in wages of between £3 and ■£*. Mr Smith interjected that tho men had received direct increases.

Mr Young said he would deal with that point Tater He pointed out that between 1897 and 1908 the seamen had received no increase in their wages. He went on to trace the various increases granted to the men at conferences with the shipowners, and as a result of awards of tho court, and to make detailed comparisons with the rates paid in ports of tihe United Kingdom, America and Continental!' countries. He claimed that the figures showed that at no time had seamen in New Zealand been paid a fair rate of wage for their services. In tho United' Kingdom the first figures submitted to the court wore stated to compare the wages paid in Various ports of the United Kingdom with those paid bv the New Zealand shipowners on August 4th, 1914. They showed that the able seamen on passenger ships in Now Zealand received from £2 10s to £3 per month above the same Worker in the United Kingdom, while the New Zealand fireman had an advantage of from to 254 10s. The monthly wage for able seamen in United Kingdom ports varied from .£5 to 265 10s, as against £8 in New > Zealand. While the New Zealand fireman received 2610 per month, the fireman in English ports received from £5 fax 266 per month. Another statement showed the gain in wages of a New Zealand ship over a ship of the United Kingdom between October 7th, 1917, and May Ist, 1921. The total benefit in favour of the New Zealand ship monthly was shown by Mr Young to be' 2636 6s 8d in one month J 6435 15s in a year, or for the full period of 42 months 261525 2s 6d. In the samd proportion, he submitted that 20 New Zealand ships would benefit over 20 United Kingdom ships of equal manning during 42 months- to the extent of 2630,603 10s.

Mr Smith said that some of the United Kingdom vessels included in Mr young’s statement were much- larger than those in New Zealand waters, carrying a a many as S 3 men on deck. Mr Young referred to the Niagara as comparing with the larger skips in England. Mr. Smith replied that the engine-room and deck hands together would not total .53 men. Mr [Young also made a comparison with the wages paid on Swedish and Nor wegian vessels. His Honour asked Mr Young if he had 'mrfde allowance for the rates of exchange, which - had varied considerably daring the war. Mr Young said, he had compiled his return from a report of the International Seafarers’ Federation, in whidh. he presumed due allowance had been made for variations in the rate of exchange. His Honour; ft looks os though these figures are made up on the pre-wair-no*-mal rates. However, we will take them lor what they are worth." in a statement of the wages earned by shore, workers in accordance with awards an/1 agreements in Wellington, excluding bonuses, Mr Young showed! that tho malthouEo labourer received. £l6 for four weeks, or 2620 0s 6d for 31 days; the brewery labourer 2615 per four weeks, or 2621 2s 8d for 31 days; and- the bottlehouse labourer 2614 10s per four weeks, or .£2O 8s 6d for 31 days. •

SEAMEN AND BREWERY WORKERS Mr Young submitted that his figures afforded undeniable evidence in justification of tho union's claims. They showed .that the ordinary brewery labourer or malthouse labourer earned more than the highest paid man on board ship—the donkeyman—-plus 263 per month to cover the cost of his keep. The figures quoted not only warranted the maintenance of the present wage as a normal standard rate, but they absolutely justified increases to bring the seamen up to the same level as shore workers. It must be borne in min;l that seamen wore men of whom a cortain amount of skill was required in the performance of their work