AUSTRALIAN SEAMEN’S DISPUTE.

Otago Witness, Issue 3015, 27 December 1911, Page 37

AUSTRALIAN SEAMEN’S DISPUTE.

ARBITRATION COURT AWARD. In the Federal Arbitration Court afr Melbourne on November 24 Mr Justice Higgins delivered his reserved decision in the action between the Federated Seamen * Union of Australia a.nd the Steamship Owners’ Association. The claim by the seamen related to hours and conditions of employment. The President said, in part: —“ Tlhie most formidable demand made for the seamen in this dispute is that with regard to the hours of working of deck hands, the seamen proper. If I wore to compel the employers to transfer the daymen to watches. I should be unwarrantably interfering with the employers’ discretion as to the system on which the business is to be managed. I am obliged to refuse the proposal to abolish tlie daymen. I should much prefer to abolish the night work, if the exigencies of navigation allowed it; but the real objective of the day hands is the eight-hours day. The change asked for relates almost solely to the hours of six or eight deck hands, who keep watches, three or four men at a time, and only to the time that they are at sea. In port they already enjoy an eight-hours day. Peace in industries is the object of this court,” he added, “ and I know nothing more likely to produce dissatisfaction ana discontent among deck hands than the perpetual contrasts which they must draw in their daily work between their hours and the hours of others with whom they come in contact. The hours of duty at present are too many. Respondents have relieved my mind by admitting frankly that the industry is capable of bearing all the additional expense involved in the claim. I propose, therefore, to award that hours at sea shall be eight for deck hands who are on watch, aa well as for deck hands who are daymen; so that they shall not have worse hours than the stokehold men or than labourers on the Australian coast. But I propose to postpone the operation of this provision till Jubf 1, 1912, as in some ships it may be necessary to put up some further accommodation for some additional men, and a liberal allowance of time ought to be made for making the necessary alterations and incidental arrangements.” After referring to the provisions for holidays and overtime, the President dealt with the claim in respect of wages—substantially a claim for £1 more all round. He said: —“At present the A.B. receives £7 per month, and his ‘ keep ’ on board ship. Taking the keep as in former oases at 10s per week, or nearly £2 5s per month, the. pay is slightly over 6s per day. This means the meagre pittance of 6d per hour for an A.B. —if the present average of more- than 12 hoiira per day be maintained, —whereas dock and ship labourers are,.paid under the agreement Is Id per hour at least, wiflh higher rates for special circumstances, and double for Holidays. I will fix tHe minimum wage, however, on the assumption that a. day of eight hours is established by the award. The respondents admit the principles laid down in the harvester case, and admit that the 7s per day or 42s • per week minimum wage fixed in that case for an adult labourer (unskilled) should bo paid, to seamen. . That minimum wage amounts to £lO9 4s for 52 weeks, or £lO9 11s for 365 days, and was fixed for i man who works only six days per week, The seaman gives 52 days in addition an< gets only £llO in all for the year, indud ing keep. In other words, he gets fot seven days per week only 9s per annum more than the unskilled labourer, who works six days per week. He has also to provide hi® own clothes, bedding, utensils, etc. There is no doubt that in the matter of wages, as well as in other matters, the seaman has the fag end of things. If higher wages be awarded, I rather think that they will be recouped to the emplayers in better and steadier work. But the wages would have to be such as to encourage the men to make homes, for, as Captain Little says, the men who havt settled homes on the Australian coast are more reliable and more attentive than . ethers. Indeed, I have frequent indications in my arbitration work that efficiency, sobriety, and morality arc intimately dependent .on settled family life. The - A.B.'s wages have not been increased since 1687, although the cost of living has increased considerably since that time. It is my clear duty to prescribe £8 per month claim, an increase of 8d per day. The act is not an act for profit-sharing, but for securing peace in industries, and the best way of securing peace -is to, secure to a man, as far as possible, wages and conditions of life on a level with the current standards of the community, I allow the increase without knowing the profits. Moreover, I allow the increase wuthou)t any regard to the risks which seamen run. This is a matter for Parliament to regulate. I cannot encourage the notion .that, by paying extra money, an employer is justified in putting the employee under unnecessary risks of his life.” The award in detail sets out the whole of the proposed condition®. The award will row mean the reopening of the New Zealand Seamen’s case with the shipowners. The Australian award in several instances is an advance of lOs per month cn the rates tallowed under " the provisional agreement arrived at in Wei- , lington recently, as under:— Australian N. Z. Award. Rates. £ £ s. Bo’sun and A.B.’s employed

as trimmers 9 8 10 A.B.’s . 8 7 10 Ordinary Seaman . 6 5 0 Ordinary seamen under 18 .. 5 4 0 Donkcymen ... . 11 10 10 Greasers ••• ... .. . 10 9 10