SHIPPING DISPUTE

New Zealand Times, Volume L, Issue 11659, 25 October 1923, Page 2

SHIPPING DISPUTE

THE NEW AWARD NEGOTIATIONS BEFORE CONCILIATION COUNCIL CONTINUE. MANY MATTERS DISCUSSED. Before the Conciliation Commissioner (Mr W. Newton) yesterday the dispute between the shipowners and the Federated Union of Seamen, Firemen and Stokers was continued. Detail matters occupied most of the day, at the conclusion of which discussion was adjourned until this morning. Present for the employers were Messrs W. G. Smith, W. H. G. Bennett, and Captain P. A. Paterson; for the men, Messrs W. T. Young (union secretary), T. F. Anderson, and W. R. Clarke. MEDICAL BENEIFITS. Consideration of Clause 40, concerning medical benefits and examination, commenced. This clause read: "Where a seaman is invalided on shore in or beyond New Zealand with illness or accident contracted in the service of the ship at any time after joining the vessel, he shall be granted the benefits provided in section 6 of the New Zealand Shipping and Seamen Ameridment Act, 1911, and if invalided on shore beyond New Zealand shall (except in case of death) be returned to his port of shipment in New Zealand, and his wages shall continue until the time at whicli he should in due course arrive at such port. "Provided that the total period for which the seaman shall be entitled to receive wages under this clause shall not in any case exceed three months from the time of his being invalided on shore. “This clause shall not apply to cases of venereal disease or to illnesses due to the seaman's own wilful act or default or his own behaviour. “A seaman shall on demand by the owner or master of the ship submit to a medical examination before signing articles, and at any time during the currency of the articles of agreement, and such examination shall be carried out by a medical inspector of seamen or by any duly qualified practitioner appointed by the owners or master of the ship for that purpose." THE UNION’S CLAIMS. Mr Young stated that there was no dispute concerning the first paragraph, but objected to the second. The position was that if a man was invalided at any port in New Zealand he might claim under the Shipping and Seamen Act, 1911. The man might olaim a maximum of three months, or until the articles expired, if they did so inside the period; or, 'again, if the articles expired within one month of him being sent ashore, he would receive a minimum of one month's pay. The union went further, and said that if a man were invalided on shore at a port beyond New Zealand, the employer should pay the cost of his medical expenses and maintenance, and in addition to this should defray the cost of his return to the Dominion. Mr Smith: In other worcis, a man will receive better 'benefits from being invalided outside New Zealand than inside it. Mr Young stated that in the case of a man who was invalided in Calcutta, or some other Eastern port, he would probably be four or five months before he reached home. WHAT BENEFITS ? Mr Smith: Of course no other seamen 6et those benefits, Mr Young. Under the British Act* all he would get would he his hospital and medical expenses and maintenance. We don't see that a man should be entitled to more simply because he happens to be invalided outside New Zealand. Mr Young*. But if a man is invalided in New Zealand he is alongside his home port. There are substantial reasons why he should get them. Mr Smith: He doesn't get those benefits under the Act. Mr Young: The Act doesn*t give him any benefits. Mr Smith argued that the provisions of the Act were paramount throughout the British Empire, except in so far. a« they were varied by the powers of local enactment. Mr Young, however, argued that the provisions of the Act applied only to vessels which took out their articles in the United Kingdom, and not to those who did eo in the Dominion. What they asked for was what had been incorporated in the 1920 agreement, and what they had asked for last year. Under no circumstances, said Mr Young, would they agree to the clause providing for medical examination. CLAUSES PASSED. The following clauses were agreed to: "Deck cargoes of timber shall not be higher than the rail of the ship and) shall be stowed from beam to beam with u smooth surface os, far as reasonably practicable for the crew to walk on, and there shall be properly secured U'oguards along each side of the ship to guard against- any seaman falling overboard. "On the dny of departure there shall be fixed in a conspicuous place at the gangway of the ship a notice-board stating the' time appointed for the departure of the vessel, and tho time shown on the board shall he> altered from time to time in tho event of the vessel's departure be<ing postponed. "It shall not be compulsory for an employee to subscribe to or become a member of nny benefit society or club instituted by any employer Any member ot ony such, existing society or club may determine his membership at bis own option, and any such determination shall not act prejudicially against the membor or members in obtaining employment. ''Bunker coal shall be 6towed in the space in the ship commonly used for tho stowage of bunker coal and not on the stokehold plates, which shall he kept clear for tlv> men to work. No ashos shall be stowed in the fiddley. PERIOD OF AWARD. It was agreed that the period of tho awr/rdi ssked for should be two years, and that its scope should be the Northern, Wellington, Canterbury, Otago and Southland industrial districts, and such other districts as the court should, direct. It fhould affect only steamship owners named as pariles and such others who might make application to be joined as parties. Discussion on manning led to Mr Youth' statitw that a shin should bo manned according to her indicated power. The Kaimanawa. on the German register as 1300 li.p., haa varied from 850 to over 1200, and she had been running undermanned. Mr Bennett stated that any sensible shipowner would have a bigger allowance of power in his engines than ho used. Mr Young : Yes, and! any sensible shipowner ULes it. Mr Bennett urged that the average power used should bo the basis of calculation. No agreement was readied. , A PROPOSAL REJECTED. The employers could not agree to th© ur ion's proposal that no work should h<> don« from 6 p.m to 6 a.m., the hours. Mr Bennett pointed out that it would mean n four hour day under tie thiee-watch system, Mr Young urged that it should bo possible for all such work as holy-stoning deoks, soogcc-ino-ageeing, during the day.

The union asked that where a ship sailed after 7 p.m. on a recognised holiclnv an extra day’s pay should not be payable. They asked for a "smoko" for twenty minutes at 10 a.m. and 3 p.m. where a ship was in port. The "peggy" should bo under the control of the chief engineer, and should obey all orders giver, by him or his subordinate officers. He should not be allowed to leave the ship during working hours between 7 tt.m, 5 p.m., meal hours excluded.

and the chief enjrineer should see that he diligently performed his duty. Tn the deck department of all ships an attendant or attendants should be carried to‘perform eleanine work and attend to tlm food supply: this man to he under the control of the master. "GROWING AIX THH TIME.” These men wore carried only in the dnbehold d G P° r t rnGn t *1 present. The Niagara, however, had twenty men in her deck department, and tho Union Company was building another ship of 20,000 tons, which presumably would he required to carry even more men in her deck department. The ships were growing all the time. As a Ret-ofl some vessels wore being converted to oil-biirn-ers, and were considerably reducing their ergine-room staffs, which meant that less attendants would have to be carried for these men. Tn tho case of a seaman being granted a free passage, it was asked that accommodation should be provided in a cabin.