LABOUR MATTERS.

Sun (Christchurch), Volume I, Issue 61, 18 April 1914, Page 13

LABOUR MATTERS.

WORK ON WHARVES. -AND PAY. Press Association. a>TJNED33Sr, April .17. , Eepresentatives of shipping "firms .admit that the rates of pay for waterside wofk at Australian and Tasmanian ports, as fixed by Judge Higgins at Mel-' bourne, will affect very seriously all the' intercolonial shipping, and will also: affect in a lesser degree oversea steamers engaged in the service with the Commonwealth. The new award carries a substantial increase in the pay of the waterside workers at the Commonwealth ports. Under the old conditions the ordinary rate for work on •the wharves at all the Commonwealth ports, except Sydney, was 1/5 an hour, while the overtime rate was 2/li per hour, and the Sydney rates were respectively 1/6 and 2/3 per hour. Under the new award the rates generally will be 1/9 ordinary and 2/7J overtime, with special rates for tropical ports and for coaling at Melbourne and Hobart. In-ordinary circumstances the waterside worker will receive for an eight hour day 14/-. If the waterside worker obtains three hours' overtime in addition to Ms ordinary day's work his wage will be £1 1/9 J. It is understood that the new award also contains conditions of employment which will appreciably increase the cost of working the ships in the Australian trade. The effect of the new award! must, it is believed, come home .to" the public in an indirect way in the near future. The cost of the increases to ;the waterside workers will, it is estimated, run into over £150,000 per annum to the shipping companies con-, cerned. In addition to that increase there is a prospect of further increases in respect to 'the pay in Australia of cooks and stewards, and the members of the Australian Masters' and Officers' Guild. -

It appears impossible just now ito estimate the actual increase that must be imposed on freights and fares "to meet the increased expenditure, but it is certain that in .the near future these commercial rates will at least be adjusted in proportion to !the extra outlay. , The new award, it is (understood, will be operative for five years.