Money

[roger leck]

Hello shipmates,
I left Gravesend in April 1965 to join my first ship, British Gull, in Immingham as galley boy. I have been regaling my Grandson with my time in the Merch [ shades of Del's Uncle Albert ].
I need some help with wages, I remember getting £4.17.6 a month. Was that really all we got ?, it sounds Victorian, maybe that was a week ?. If anyone can remember I would be very grateful. Thanks for all the interesting questions, answers and reminiscences.

[Keith Tindell]

Hi Roger, Yes i think that may have been a week, i joined my first ship in 58 as a deck boy, and that was on £12 and a couple of shillings per month, so fast forward a few years and £4-17-6 would have been about right. Still lovely days even if the money was poor, kt

[roger leck]

Thanks KT. I think you are probably right. Great days indeed; oh for time travel.

[Mike Hall]

My first ship was an old tramp MV TYRONE. 1958.Where as a Pantry boy i was getting £12.17.6. This was the same as the Galley boy.

[J Gowers]

Went to in 1974 and my wages as a mechanical fitter ashore was about £30-40 a week don't have any payslips from that time but I seem to remember that as J/E I just about doubled that when I went to sea with Denholms. Went to offshore rigs 14 years later and doubled my wages again. Would never have made it to the rigs as Chief Engineeer if I had not gone to sea as a J/E, I have a lot to thank the MN for and the journeymen I served my time with who convinced me to go to sea in the first place.

[Doc Vernon]

Remember mine on the Union Castle liners in 1958 was at 36 GBP a Month, as Steward then there was OT, and Blood Tips , which made up quite a lot Extra.
Cheers

Error in Wage corrected

[roger leck]

What year was that Mike.

[Tony Taylor]

Remember mine on the Union Castle liners in 1958 was at 36 GBP a Month, as Steward then there was OT, and Blood Tips , which made up quite a lot Extra.
Cheers

When I finished as apprentice in 70 I was on £32/month; straight on to £115/month as J/E. Felt like I was loaded.

[Doc Vernon]

Here is a Wage list for that time around 1958. Stewards
Cheers

wages_04 - Copy.jpg

[j.sabourn]

In 1957 was 3 mate with a second mates cert.0n 37 pounds a month and that was on A Agreement as on contract so the actual wage would have been probably about 4 pounds a month less. On A Agreement was no paid overtime, but you got 12 weeks certificate leave . The only way I could afford to stay ashore , so 12 weeks and that was it for mate and master unless your second name was Rothchild. Some company’s had their own wage scales , the British ships I was on were all federated and hence the wages were in the NMB year book with conditions of service and the shipowner obliged to pay, unless he was benevolent and wanted to give you more. In 1964 the wages for mate was 101/ 12/6d per month and 27
Pounds 2/6d a month in lieu of overtime and crashed over the 1000 pounds. A year and thought I had it made ,
Foreign flag ships were always better paid one of the.reasons was insurance as insurers charged more premiums for the weird certification some carried. Don’t think British certification carries too much weight today as is probably considered in line with the weirdies . JS
Reading your post Tony thought at first you said you were 70 when you finished your time ,then the brain got into gear and saw you would have been an OAP then. Pity ! You could have finished up in the Guinness Book Of Records . JS