HC Deb 31 January 1939 vol 343 cc48-51W
Mr. Howard Gritten

asked the President of the Board of Trade whether he has any information in regard to the excessive profits made by British shipping companies trading with Government Spain; and whether seamen receive increased rates of pay, in view of the additional risks incurred

1. Mr. Stanley,

pursuant to his reply (OFFICIAL REPORT, 20th December, 1938, col. 2660, Vol. 342) supplied the following information:

THE NATIONAL MARITIME BOARD.

Bevis Marks House,

Bevis Marks,

London, E.C.3.

20th October, 1938.

The Joint Secretaries,

All District Maritime Boards.

DEAR SIRS,

VESSELS TRADING TO SPAIN AGREEMENT.

I beg to inform you that at a Joint Meeting of the Navigating Officers', Engineer Officers', Sailors' and Firemen's, and Catering Department Panels of this Board, held on 19th October, 1938, it was agreed that on and from 1st November, 1938, Section 1 of the Trading to Spain Agreement of the 21st January, 1937, as amended on 18th February, 1938, shall be replaced by the following:

Wage Bonus.—A wage bonus shall be paid to the crews of vessels trading to any port in Spain, Spanish Morocco and the Balearic Islands, subject to the following conditions:

(i) Vessels trading to ports on the East and South Coasts of Sp3in between the French frontier and Malaga (exclusive).

  1. (a) In the case of a vessel which calls at only one port within these limits, the bonus shall be paid during the period that the vessel is in port, including the 24 hours before 12.1 a.m. on the day of arrival until 24 hours after midnight on the day of sailing, no day to be reckoned twice.
  2. (b) In the case of a vessel calling at two or more ports within these limits consecutively, the bonus shall be paid during the period beginning 24 hours before 12.1 a.m. on the day of arrival at the first port of call until 24 hours after midnight on the day of sailing from the last port of call.

The amount of the bonus under both (a) and (b) shall be the equivalent of 200 per cent, of the daily wage, subject to a minimum payment as for five days, which shall be guaranteed in respect of each occasion on which a vessel leaves the last port of call outside the above limits, for a port within the above limits either with cargo or in ballast.

(ii) Vessels trading to ports between Malaga (inclusive) and Gibraltar (exclusive).

In the case of a vessel calling at any port within these limits, the bonus shall be paid during the period that the vessel is in port, including the 24 hours before 12.1 a.m. on the day of arrival until 24 hours after midnight on the day of sailing, no day to be reckoned twice. The amount of bonus payable in the above case shall be the equivalent of 50 per cent. of the daily wage.

(iii) Vessels trading to ports on the South, West, and North Coasts of Spain between Gibraltar (exclusive) and the French frontier, ports in Spanish Morocco and the Balearic Islands.

In the case of a vessel calling at any port within these limits, the bonus shall be paid during the period that the vessel is in port, including the 24 hours before 12.1 a.m. on the day of arrival until 24 hours after midnight on the day of sailing, no day to be reckoned twice. The amount of bonus payable in the above case shall be the equivalent of 50 per cent. of the daily wage.

As from 1st November, 1938, Section 1 (iii) is suspended. Should hostilities endangering British ships occur in any part of the areas covered by the Section, a meeting of the panels will be held as soon as possible. If the meeting agrees that danger exists, the Section may be restored with retrospective effect and in whole or in part and shall apply to such areas as may be agreed.

(iv) In the case of a vessel trading between ports in areas where different rates of bonus apply, if any part of the period during which the higher rate would be applicable coincides with part of the period during which a lower rate would be applicable the bonus shall be calculated during that time at the higher rate.

(v) In the case of crews providing their own food, wages for the purpose of calculating the bonus shall not be subject to any food deduction.

(vi) In the case of Admiralty vessels the bonus shall be calculated at 100 per cent. in respect of ports under (i) above and 50 per cent. in the case of ports under (ii) above and under (iii) above (when operative).

(vii) The above arrangement in regard to the payment of bonus shall not apply to passenger liners which visit only one port in Spain in the zones referred to under (i) and (ii) above and under (iii) above (when operative) on the outward and/or on the homeward voyage, but on such vessels all officer ranks shall receive a bonus of 12s, 6d. and all crew ratings 7s. 6d. each per call.

(viii) It is agreed the "Vessels Trading to Spain" Agreement covers the Canary Islands, but it shall not be applied in respect of the Canary Islands unless and until it is agreed by the National Maritime Board that a danger zone exists and that consequently the Agreement should be applied.

The Agreement of 21st January, 1937, remains otherwise unaltered save that in the agreed Clause for insertion in Articles the words "as amended on 18th February and 19th October, 1938" are inserted after the words "21st January, 1937."

Yours faithfully,

D. M. ROBINSON,

Clerk-in-Charge.

THE NATIONAL MARITIME BOARD.

Bevis Marks House,

Bevis Marks,

London, E.C.3.

23rd January, 1937.

DEAR SIRS,

VESSELS TRADING TO SPAIN.

I beg to inform you that at a Joint Meeting of the Navigating Officers', Engineer Officers', Sailors' and Firemen's, and Catering Department Panels of this Board, held on the 2ist instant, the following Agreement was reached: It is agreed that from 25th January, 1937, in view of the disturbed conditions in Spain, the following special conditions shall apply to the crews engaged on ordinary Board of Trade foreign-going articles of vessels trading to any port, or ports, in Spain, whether the articles are already current on, or are opened subsequent to, that date:

(1) Wage Bonus.—A wage bonus shall be paid during the period that the vessel is in any port in Spain, including the 24 hours before 12.1 a.m. on the day of arrival until 24 hours after midnight on the day of sailing—no day to be reckoned twice. The amount of bonus shall be the equivalent of 50 per cent. of the daily wage. (In the case of the crew providing their own food, wages shall for purposes of this calculation be subject to the appropriate food deduction.)

This bonus shall not apply to passenger liners which visit only one port in Spain on the outward and/or homeward voyage, but on such vessels all officer ranks shall receive a bonus of 12s. 6d, each and crew ratings 7s. 6d. each, per call.

(2) Special Compensation.—It is mutually agreed that, in the event of any member of the crew suffering personal injury in the service of the ship directly due to the existing disturbances in Spain, he, or in the event of his death from any such injury, his dependants as defined in the Workmen's Compensation Act, shall be paid special compensation.

Such compensation shall be—

  1. (a) in addition to any amount recover able under the Workmen's Compensation Act, and
  2. (b) the equivalent, subject to a maximum of £600 in any one case, of the amount which would be recoverable under the provisions of the Workmen's Compensation Act if that Act applied.

Any dispute as to the right to or the amount of such compensation shall be determined by the appropriate panel of the National Maritime Board. In default of agreement the dispute shall be referred to an arbitrator to be agreed.

(3) In consideration of the special compensation paid under (2) above, the members of the crew assign to the master, as representing the owners of the ship, any claim they may have against the Spanish Government or their adversaries—any excess so recovered over and above the amount of special compensation paid to be for the benefit of the member of the crew concerned.

(4) As regards vessels trading to any port or ports in Spain between 1st January and 24th January, 1937, whose articles were not closed on or before 14th January, the temporary Agreement* as regards bonus, concluded by the panels on 15th January, shall apply.

(5) This Agreement is terminable at one month's notice by either side of any panel in respect both of articles opened after and current on the date of the expiry of such notice.

(6) The following Clause is agreed for insertion in articles to give effect to the foregoing Agreement: 'It is agreed that, notwithstanding the statements appearing in Column 11 of this Agreement, the "Vessels Trading to Spain" Agreement concluded by the panels of the National Maritime Board on 21st January, 1937, shall apply to the members of the crew.'

* Temporary Agreement referred to above:

"In view of the disturbed conditions in Spain, a temporary bonus subject to the conditions enumerated below shall be paid to the crews engaged on ordinary Board of Trade foreign-going articles of vessels trading to any port, or ports, in Spain:

(1) The bonus shall be paid during the period that the vessel is in any port in Spain including the 24 hours before 12.1 a.m. on the day of arrival until 24 hours after midnight on the day of sailing—no day to be reckoned twice.

(2) The bonus to be calculated as an in crease in the daily wage rate of 50 per cent."

Yours faithfully,

D. M. ROBINSON,

Clerk-in-Charge.