SEAMEN’S WAGES.

Otago Witness, Issue 3775, 20 July 1926, Page 17

SEAMEN’S WAGES.

WELLINGTON, July 15. An all-round increase of 17s 4d a month has been awarded to the members of the Federated Seamen’s Union of New Zealand by the chairman of the committee set up under the Labour Disputes Investigation Act. 1913, to deal with the dispute between the union and the New Zealand Shipowners’ Federation. The Chairman, Mr E. Page, S.M., was recently empowered by the committee to decide all wage questions upon which the committee had been unable to agree. The following memorandum has been forwarded to the Minister of Labour by the chairman:—“The committee appointed to investigate the above dispute has requested me to make the final decision as to the wages that are to be paid to the various ratings affected by these proceedings. The wages at present payable were fixed by the Arbitration Court in 1924, The Federated Seamen’s Union in its notice in the present proceedings claims a general increase, equivalent to about 16 per cent, on the existing scale. The shipowners in their notice offer to continue substantially the existing scale. “I think that an increase should be granted. Since the year 1924, when the present scale was fixed, the basic wage for unskilled, semi-skilled, and skilled labour, respectively, in other industries has been increased. The shipping industry has not shared in that increase. In the scale of wages that follows I have endeavoured to bring the payments into . line .with the amounts payable for corresponding work in other industries. This new scale is to take effect as from July 1, 1926, and to continue during the existence of the agreement relating to conditions of employment that has been arrived at between the parties. “The new scale is as follows, the old rates of wages being given in parenthesis Boatswain, leading able seaman, lamp trimmer, and A.B. (combined): £lO 4s (£ls Gs 8d). Quartermaster, lamp trimmer, able seaman, trimmer, wiper: £lB 4s (fl 4 6s 8d). Ordinary seaman. Eighteen years and over: £lO 9s (£9 lls 8d). Under eighteen years, £9 4s (£8 6s 8d). Donkey man: £lB 4s (£l7 6s 8d). Second donkeyman, fireman, greaser (on vessels carrying one engineer only), fireman, oil burner, storekeeper, greaser, storekeeper and greaser (combined), £lO 4s (£ls 6s 8d). Boy, 17 years of age or over, £5. Attendant, £lO 17s 4d. It may be mentioned that the wages fixed in 1924 represented an all-round increase of 3s 4d a month.”