SHIPPING INDUSTRY

Otago Witness, Issue 3021, 7 February 1912, Page 5

SHIPPING INDUSTRY

THE SEAMEN'S AGREEMENT. THE FULL TEXT. The following is portion of the text of the agreement that was adopted at the recent conference between representatives of the shipowners and of the Federated Seamen's Union: Agreement mado this 24th day of January, on© thousand nine hundred and twelve, by and between the Federated Seamen s Union of Australasia of the one part and the undersigned firms and companies, severally, of the other part, in respect of wages and conditions of employment for dock and stokehold hand 6 :• — 1. —Wages. The following shall be the rates of wages which shall be paid by the steamship-owners respectively to the men employed by them respectively, that is to say: Per month. £ s. d. Boatswain n Quartermasters 8 0 0 Lamptrimimers 8 0 0 Lampfcrimmer and able seaman ... 9 0 0 Able seamen 8 0 0 Odinary seamen (18 years or over) 6 0 0 Ordinary seamen (under 18 years) 5 0 0 Donkeyman (four-hour watches) •• 11 0 0 Donkeyman (six-hour watches) ... 12 0 0 Firamen (four-hour wabohes) ,- ... 10 0 0 Firemen (six-hour watches) 11 0 0 Greasers (four-hour watches) ... 10 0 0 Greasers (six-hour watches) ... 11 0 0 Trimmers (four-hour watches) ... 8 0 0 Trimmers (six-hour watches) ... 9 0 0 Storekeepers 10 0 0 Storekeeper and greaser i(fourhour watches) ... 10 0 0 Storekeeper and Greaser (six-hour • watches) 11 0 0 2. —Payment of Wages. All wages, including overtime, shall bo paid on tho first day of oaoh calendar month, or within seven days after, or as Boon after the seven days as the vessel arrives at any port where there is a branoh of any bank. 3. —Payment of Overtime. Overtime shall bo paid at the following lotos for the various classes of work mentioned herein —namely: j s. d. I Boating cargo in roadsteads 1 9 per hour Working cargo 1 6 per hour Cleaning, chipping, and scaling inside boilers, cleaning backs, tubes, and ' uptakes 16 per hour Other classes of work ... 13 per hour . Ordinary se-amen for all classes of work except j boating cargo 1 0 per hour Note.—Working cargo means shipping, discharging, or otherwise handling cargo, or driving winches or hydraulics, attending yardarms, attending hatchways, shipping or unshipping hatches, or keeping steam on donkey or main boilers for cargo purposes. If the definition of "cargo work" adopted in Australia, ox rny interpretation thereof given by the Commonwealth Court of Conciliation and Arbitration, is more favour- j able to the Seamen's Union than the above, then the same definition shall be adopted by tho parties hereto, in lieu of the above, j 4.—Optional Overtime. j It shall bo optional for any member of j the crow to work overtime between 5 p.m. j and 7 a.m. at the following ports, pro- j vided one-fourth of the crew, but not less than a minimum of two deok hands and one in the stokehold and engineroom department, remains on board: Sydney, Mel- j bourne, Adelaide, Auckland, Wellington, I Lyttelton, Ihmedin, or at his home port. I Each man when joining the ship to declare ! his home port on the articles. j s.—Overtime on Sundays and Holidays. ! When a vessel leaves any of the main J ports on any Sunday or holiday, each member of tho crew to bo paid an extra day's Bea pay. Should a vessel leave more than one port on. a Sunday or a holiday, one day's sea pay only to bo allowed. In addition to the one day's sea pay, any men actually employed at work while the vessel j is in port on the Sunday or holiday sliall bo paid overtime at the schedule rate for the time so employed. 6. —Excursions. When a vessel is employed on an excursion or special work on a Sunday or a holiday, each member of tho crew shall bo paid la per hour for the time the ship is so employed, with a minimum payment of 4s. In the event of men being ordered on board for the purpose of an excursion, and the ■vessel does not proceed, each member of th crew shall be paid a minimum of 4s. Any men actually employed at work while the vessel is in port, either before or after the excursion, shall be paid overtime at schedule rates for tho time so employed. I| the excursion includes any of the main [

ports hereinafter named, the extra day's sea pay shall not be payable in addition to the payment provided for the excursion. 7.—Shifting Ship. Where a seaman is required for shifting ship at night in port, his overtime shall bo reckoned fiom the time that he> has to come on deck, or attend, until the shifting it over, or until he is released from attendance.- Each shift shall be treated as occupying one hour at the least, and any clearing of the decks shall be reckoned as additional overtime work. This clause does not apply to a donkeyman so far as he performs the functions of a donkeyman in aiding the shift. B.—Steaming Between Places. When a, vessel is steaming between ports. I bays, and roadsteads, and the time occupied ; in steaming is one hour or under, the deck I hands? deemed to have the watch below shall be paid overtime for the time the vessel is so'engaged; but if the men are not turned out at a port of call, no overtime shall bo payable under this clause. Shifting ship between Dunedin and Port Chalmers is excepted from the provisions of this clause. 9.—Time Off. It shall be optional for members of the crew to accept time off in lieu of cash payments for overtime. When time off is offered and accepted, it shall be at the rate of two and a-half hours in the case of deck hands and trimmers, and two houii in the case of firemen and greasers, for each hour worked as overtime, and it shall not bo necessary for the men to provide a substitute. Time off shall not be given n.fc sea, or on Sundays or holidays. In the event of men having time off due to them which cannot conveniently bo given before the end of the month in which it was earned, it shall be paid for at overtime rates. 10.—Hours Of Labour At Sea. Subject to the provision of Clause 11: (a.) The hours of labour at sea- for deck hands shall be watch and watch for four hours each, or by day work, as may bo required by the employer; ,but after the 30th June, 1912, the hours of labour at sea, for dec' hands, employed in intercolonial and South Pacific Islands passenger and cargo steamers which carry nine or more men on deck (exclusive of boys), shall be not more than eight in a day to bo worked as may be required by the'employer, (b) The hours of labour of firemen., greasers. and trimmers working four-hour watches ut soa shall bo watch and watch of four hours on and eight hours off, except when vessels are under reduced steam in manner referred to in sectif n 51, sub-sec-tion 4 of " The Shipping and Seamen Act, 1908,'" when portion of the crew may be employed on day work, if considered necessary by the chief engineer. Six-hour Watches. On steamers running short trips, and on steamers where only two firemen, greasers, or trimmers are carried, the hours of labour at sea shall be watch and watch of six hours on and six hours off. (c) Between the hours of 6 a.m. and 5 p.m. on intercolonial ships carrying less than nine men on deck (exclusive of boys), and on coastal steamers, seamen on watch shall perform any work required of them. Any work performed by them outside those hours shall be paid for as overtime, with the following exceptions, namely—(l) Work necessary for the navigation or safety of the ship; (2) clearing decks, stowing cargo gear for quarter of an hour after leaving port; (3) taking in and coiling down lines after departure; (4) any work necessarv for the convenience of passengers. The foregoing paragraph (4) means that deck hands when on watch can be called upon to do work such as shift, take down, or put up weather screens, or shift or change deck chairs, etc., as the case may be, for tho convenience of passengers, without payment of overtime. After tho 30th of June, 1912, paragraph (c) shall not apply to seamen employed in intercolonial* and South Pacific Islands passenger and cargo steamers which carry nine or more men on deck, exclusive, of boys. 11. —-Gratuitous Work. A seaman shall, outside his hours of labour, and without payment for overtime, assist when required in tho mooring or unmooring of a ship, and attend, when required, any boat drill, fire drill, or medical inspection in port, and do any work that is required of him for tho safety of tho ship. 12. —Hours of Labour in Port. (a) Deck hands.—The hours of labour of deck hands in all ports, •, bays, and roadsteads shall bo eight, between the hours of 7 a.m. and 5 p.m.; tea watches on days of arrival and departure shall count as portion of the eight hours, except when tho ship arrives and leaves tho same port on the samo day, when tho eight hours of deck hands may be worked any time during the 24 hours; sea watches to count as portion of the eight hours, (b) Stokehold and Engineroom.—(l) The hours pf labour of all stokehold and engineroom hands in

all ports, bays, and roadsteads shall be eight, between the hours of 7 a.m. and 5 p.m.; sea watches on days of arrival and departure shall count as portiion of the 8 hours. (2) When a vessel arrives in port on any day, and is to remain in port overnight, and provided the vessel remains in port not loss than eight hours, the watches of stokehold and engineroom hands shall be broken on arrival, and the eight-hours work shall be completed between 7 a.m and 5 p.m., provided that in the event of urgent work the men shall continue on watch if required. The donkeyman, or failing him, another man, shall also remain on duty to attend boilers, lights, and pumps. (3) Whon a vessel arrives in a port and leaves again the same day, or within eight hours, watch and watch of stokehold and engineroom hands may be- continued.' (4) The hours of labour ci stokehold and engineroom hands working six-hour watches in all ports, bays, and roadsteads, shall be eight, between the hours of 7 a.m. and 5 p.m.; sea watche3 on the days of arrival and departure shall count as portion of the eight hours. This clause is also subject to the provisions of clause 11. The provisions of this clause as to sea watches counting in the eight hours in port on days of arrival and • departure for deck hands are not to come into force until Ist of July, 1912, but existing practices as to the morning watch below in port are to in force until that date. 13—Sundays and Holidays. On Sundays and holidays in port the seamen shall (unless for overtime payment) be free from labour, except the washing of decks or the decorating of the ship between 7 a.m. and 8 a.m. 14.—Night Watch. The hours of any seaman acting as nightwatchman in port shall be from 8 p.m. to 6 a.m. For acting as nightwatchman he shall bo granted eight working hours off in port on the next, day, if it is not a Sunday or a holiday. If he does not get eight hours off ho shall be paid an extra sum of Bs. For short or broken watches kept betwoen the abovenamed hours, or for any balance of time off due, ho shall be paid Is per j hour. If ho be required to assist in shifting ship he shall be paid an extra sum of 8d for each shift. 15. —Anchor Watch. When an anchor watch is kept betwoen the hours of 5 p.m. and 7 a.m., the men so engaged shall be paid overtime at the rate of Is per hour for the time employed, or an equivalent time allowed off in port. 16. —Holidays in Port. Tho crews of all vessels shall be entitled to the following holidays in port —namely, New Year's Day, Good Friday, Easter Monday, Sovereign's Birthday, labour Day, Christmas Day, and Boxing Day. 17.—Holidays at Sea. If any of the following holidays be spent wholly at sea, each soman shall be entitled to a day off ashore at the home port within one month thereafter, , or to an extra day's sea pay. The holidays are: Christmas Day, Boxing Day, New Year's Day, Good Friday, and Easter Monday. 18. —Saturday Half-holiday. Whenever any vessel arrives at her terminal port on tho day before, or prior to 10 a.m. on Saturday, and is to remain in the same port till after 6 a.m. cm Sunday, the firemen, greasers, and trimmers shall bo allowed a half-holiday from 1_ p.m. on Saturday, provided the chief engineer can grant it without interfering with the necesary work of the ship. 19. —Meal Hours in Port. The meal time allowed in port shall be: — For breakfast: Any one hour between 7 a.m. and 9 a.m. For dinner: Any one hour between 12 noon and 2 p.m. For tea (if working overtime): Any one hour between 5 p.m. land 7 p.m. And, if working is to be continued after 11 p.m.. one hour for sup-er between 11 p.m. and 1 a.m. A seaman shall not be under any obligation to curtail any mealtime, even en the terms of payment foii. overtime. 20. —Cleaning Quarters. Tho employers shall cause the quarters of the seamen to be cleaned every day. and (without prejudice to the generality of this direction) shall commit the duty of cleaning each set of quarters to a steward or seaman, or other suitablo person within his hours of duty (of for overtime payment), and allow him at least: Where not more than nine persons, one hour; where more than nine and not more than 18 persons, two hours; whore more than 18 persons, three hours. The* crew's quarters shall be fumigated, cleaned, and painted at least once in every 12 months, while tho vessel is in port. 21. —Discharging Ashes. Ashes to be discharged by the firemen or trimmers on duty, but if such work cannot for any reason be performed by them during their watch on duty, and they, or any other firemen or trimmers off duty, are called upon to discharge such ashes,

either in port of during the voyage, they shall bo paid overtime rates therefor. ' 22.—Galley Bunkers. Galley bunkers shall be filled by firemen and trimmers during their watch on duty. 23.—Signing Off. Twenty-four hours notice on;,either side shall be tho law of discharge at the ship's final port of discharge in the Dominion. Engagements may be determined in the Dominion at any time after the ship's arrival at her final port of discharge, consequent upon the completion of a round voyage, by 24 hours' previous notice on either side, provided that, with the approval of the master and subject to his signing tho agreement and the certificate of discharge, the chief engineer may engage or discharge the greaser.?, firemen, and trimmers. In all oSher oases, notice is to be given to. or received by, the master of the ship only. 24. —Free Passages. Free passage? shall be allowed under the following conditions: (a) Should the- master determine the agreement at any port other than that in which the man was first engaged, or if tho agreement expires by effluxion of time, any such discharged seaman shalll bo entitled to a free passage to the port where he was first engaged, by 'the first vessel proceeding to such port, (b) Where a seaman is engaged, and during the period of his engagement the agreement expires by effluxion "of time, and a now agreement is entered into, the seaman so engaged, notwithstanding that ho ha 9 entered into a new agreement with the master, shall not forfeit nas right to a free passage to the port where he was originally engaged, (cj When a man is engaged at one port and sent to another port to join the ship, he may claim a free passage to the port where ho was engaged, if discharged by the master. (d) Any man discharged at any place other than tho port at which he originally signed tho agreement,!, even though the contract shall be to discharge him elsewhere, shall be given a free passage back to his said port of shipment by tho first vessel 'proceeding to such port, (e) Where it is not pos'-ibl© to provide a free passage by 6teamer, the employer shall provide a second clan? railway TMissage within 48 hours of the man's discharge. Sundays and holidays not to count in such pariod of 48 hours. (f) Should a man be discharged at his own request, he shall not be entitled to a freo passage. 25.—Sundays at the Island*. ■ Vessels trading to the Islands in the South Pacific, where a conflict occurs in the observance of Sundays, shall observe tho Sunday of the port as the Sunday of the ship, and the same terms and conditionis regarding overtime as are applicable to Sundays in Now Zealand shall apply to ali crows who are called upon to work on Sundays. This shall also apply to the holidays stated in Clause 16. 26.—Necessary Work. When a steamer i 3 under banked fires, night or day. only necessary work shall be performed in the engine room and stokehold between tho houns of 5 p.m. and 7 a.m. " Necessary work." within tho foregoing paragraph, between tho hours of 5 p.m. and 7 a.m.. does not include scouring, washing paint, painting, cleaning tank tops. and_ chipping. Bilges shall only be cleaned during tho night when such work is really necessary. 27. —Employers' Benefit Societies. It sliatll not be compulsory for an employee to subscribe to or become a member of any benefit society or club instituted by any employer. Any member of uny _ such existing society or club may determine his membership at hia own option, and such determination shall not act prejudicially efr&inst the member or members in obtaining employment. 28.—Uniform. The deck hands shall provide themselves with the uniform, of fhe employer, and wear it as and when required, * but tho employer shall supply tho necessary budges and trimmings. 29 —Preference. Employees shall, in tho engagement or subsequent employment of seamen, givo preference to thore members of the Federated Seamen's Union of Australasia who are not more than throe months in' arrears with their contributions to the said union. Provided that any such unP.nancial member, shall again become eligible for employment on payment of his arrears without any fine in addition. Should there not bo a sufficient number of such members available when required, thdn and in such case the employers may engage or employ other men, conditionally that they shall become and remain members of the sa>'d union- during the currency of their employment. The entrance fee and subscription to become payable on first pay day after joining the snip, when it shall be paid to tho delegate on board, or the secretary of any branch of the union. Members of the union presenting themselves for employment ehall produce their

union book to the employeir prior to en* I gagement, t 0 show that they are member* not more than three months in arrears with I their contributions. Membership of tho j union shall be open to any man of good j character. Non-members at present em* , ployed on vessels to be allowed two months in which to become members of tho union. Tli© union undertake that tho maximum entrance fee and subscription shall not exceed 12s, and 4s per month, respectively. during tho currency of this agieemenfc member or members wilfully missing thear passage,, wilfully misconducting themselves on board the sihip. or wilfully impeding the voyage,of the ship, shall bis liable to bo dealt with in such manner as tho union executive may decide, provided that such men are not i otherwise punished.,' 30.—-Definitions (Unless the context clearly forbid); - •"Arrival'"*means the time the vessel is moored at a place where she ships or unships cargo, coal, or passengers. " Departuro" meqiis the time when the ..vessel is unmoored tw proceed to sea*-,' "At Sea" refers to the time from departure to arrival. " In Port " refers to the time from arrival to departure. " A Day" means from 12 midnight to 12 midnight. "Seaman" means any member of the Federated Seamen's Union of Australasia employed,either on deck or in the engine room or stokehold of steamers belonging to companies and firms who* are partie* to this agreement. -It does not include boys, whose wages and conditions are excluded from this agreement, and' are not subject to regulations. " Holidays" means New Year's Day, Good Friday. Easter Monday, Birthday of the Reigning Sovereign, Labour Day, Christmas Day, and Boxing Day. " Port " includes bay, river, or roadstead. "Home port" means any port in the Dominion of New Zealand at which the seaman has signed the articles of agreement, or at which" he resides. "Main ports" means Auckland, Gisborne, Napier, Wellingington. Picton, Nelson, Lyttelton, Timaru. Oamaru, Port Chalmers,' Dunedin Bluflf, and Onehunga. " Wages " include overtime payment. 31.—River and Extended River Limits. Steamers trading within river or extended river limits; also the steamers Gael, Kawau, Orewa, and Kotiti while engaged in their present trades, or any vessels of the sams character trading as aforesaid in additiot to, or in substitution for, tho said vessels, shall foe bound by all tho terms of thil agreement, except that the hours of labour (at sea and in port) for the men employed, shall be 56 per week, to be worked as maj be required by the employer. Any tim« worked in excess of 56 hours in any ons week shall :be paid for at schedule overtime rates. The week to mean the time from and including Sunday to midnight on Saturnday. 32.—Ships' Articles. The following clause to be inserted is. the articles of agreement of ships coming within tho scope, of this agreement and belonging to the various companies and firms who are parties hereto. "It is also agreed that the agreement between the steamship owners and the Federated Seamen's Union of Australasia, dated Welling ton, 24th January; 1912, in respect of waget and conditions of employment and prefer* ence, shall form part of this agreement--33. —Term of Agreement. This agreement shall come into force oS the first day of March, 1912, and shall re. main in force until the 28th day of February, 1914, ,and thereafter shall continu* in force until a new agreement is entered into, and it is further agreed that nothing horein contained shall apply to the s.s. A pari ma, and that this agreement shall not be converted into an award of the Court of Arbitration unless by the mutual consent of all tho parties hereto. MEItOBANOTJir. The employers accept the verbal assurance of the union that men who are not ' members of the union, immediately become eligible for employment as if already members of the union, upon paying tho delegate of tho ship which they are joming the entrance fee required by the rules of the union, not exceeding the maximum stipulated herein. Signed on behalf of the Federated Seamen's Union of Australasia, this 24th day of January, 1912: WILLIAM BELCHER, DAVID MUNRO, ADAM NIXON, J. H, DA VIES,. DAS DONOVAN, W. T. YOUNG. For the Union Steam Ship Company of New Zealand (Ltd.): C. HOLDSWORTH, General Mgr. Northern Steam Ship Company (Ltd.): CHAS. RANSON, Manager. Pate* Shipping Company (Ltd.): R. C. RENNER, Director. New Zealand Shipowners' Federation (Wellington Branch) i R. C. RENNER, Acting Chairman. Blackball; Coal Company (Ltd.): O. • JIARCOURT TURNER, Agent. Levin and Co. (Ltd.): Por W. E. FULLER. Aorere Steamship Company (Ltd.): J. W. DECK. Anchor Shipping and Foundry Company (Ltd.): WILLIAM ROGERS, Manager