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From:
Subject: Re: [Mar] Wages
Date: Mon, 4 Oct 2004 03:07:31 EDT


Don

The shipowners had a phrase 'freight is the mother of wages'. When a
merchant vessel was sunk whether by enemy action or not, pay stopped immediately,
unlike the RN. The shipowners view (going back centuries) was that the venture,
which provided the wages, ceased at the time of the sinking and thereby so
did the requirement to pay wages.

This was particularly difficult in the case of merchant seaman who were
captured and interred in Germany in both World Wars.… Many spent as much as five
years as prisoners and their families received no money at all.

The shipping companies had an obligation to repatriate survivors, who were
signed on as DBS (Displaced British Seamen) on a suitable homeward bound
vessel, They were entitled to rations but not to pay. Many opted to sign on as part
of the crew, if there was a berth, so that they could resume their wage
earning.

Quite what the situation was when he returned home I am not sure. I assume
that in W.W.II some form of 'National Assistance' was available for the
families. The seafarer however would be required to report to the Shipping
Federation on the expiry of whatever leave he was owed and would be appointed to
another vessel, if not he faced being called up into one of the armed services.

Quite when this situation with regard to wages changed I am not sure,
however I do know that it still prevailed in the 1960's, it might well have been
one of the changes implemented by the Merchant Shipping Act 1972.

Hope this helps.

Rgds

Andy Adams

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