A rally against the casualisation of work at the ports of Auckland brought traffic to a standstill in central Dunedin this afternoon.
About 100 people, chanting and carrying union banners marched from the Octagon about 2pm, coming to a halt outside the Wall St Mall.
As the group blocked George St to chant slogans and hand round fundraising buckets traffic built upon either side, leading to some terse exchanges.
Most of the lunchtime crowd appeared to support the marchers and more than $300 was collected for the Maritime Union Fund.
The rally was called by Unions Otago.
Rally organiser Malcolm Deans, of the Southern Local Government Officers Union, said sacking the striking port workers was part of an attack on working people that included the lockout by Talley Affco of more than 700 meatworkers.
Hillside worker Dave Kearns, of the Rail and Maritime Transport Union, compared the attempted casualisation of Ports of Auckland with last year's redundancies at Kiwirail. He said Kiwirail was filling some of those permanent positions with workers on fixed term contracts.
Marchers blocked both lanes of George St briefly, before returning to Octagon to hear speeaches from Labour's South Dunedin MP Clare Curran and Greens co-leader Metiria Turei. Ms Turei offered the Greens' support the striking workers. Ms Curran said the dispute was part of the agenda of a ''conservartive government''.
A representative of the Port Chalmers MUNZ branch said the local executive was in Auckland to support the march and deliver a cheque from the Port Chalmers branch.
In Auckland 2,000 protestors set out from Britomart this afternoon in a show of support with Ports of Auckland workers.
A boisterous and determined mass of marchers waved signs saying: "Len Brown is a scab", and a multitude of flags, indicating international support the workers have received.
It came as Sydney wharfies went on strike in a show of solidarity with the Maritime Union of New Zealand workers, who were sacked by the port last week.
The march headed off from to the strains of Dave Dobbyn's Loyal on its way to the port site a kilometer away.
Despite the numbers, former left wing MP Willie Jackson described the turnout as "disappointing"
"The union movement has to really get out and support these guys," said Jackson.
"The CTU (Council of Trade Unions) needs to mobilise these unions a bit more. There's a challenge for the CTU, these guys deserve their support."
He said he was angry at Auckland mayor Len Brown's stance on the issue.
"A lot of people like me voted for Len last time. I won't vote next time."
Among the marchers was Gary Russell, 57, who spent 34 years working on ships.
Russell said he was there to support the POA workers, among those working in other industries such as the hotels, where he now works.
He said: "It's not like everyone is fighting for good money, they're fighting for conditions that have been there for 30 years. I've been a worker all my life and belonged to unions all my life. If it wasn't for the unions, I wouldn't have had the conditions I've enjoyed all these years."
Stephen, 44, and Clare, 37, Millham were at the march with their three young children.
Clare said the family had come to support the ports workers because she was "appalled that there doesn't seem to be any support for workers in this country".
Clare, who attended anti-nuclear and Springbok marches as a child, said the march was an important learning experience for her children.
"It just seems the port boss doesn't seem interested in listening at all. It seems the environment has turned against supporting the workers in any case at all."
