New Zealand: Thousands rally for sacked Ports workers

Watch video: “Thousands of Port Workers March”

ONE News reporter Stephen Smith said around 5000 protesters, including firefighters, meat workers, rest home nurses, even politicians, took to street, yelling slogans such as “workers rights are under attack!” as well as “stand up fight back, workers rights are under attack.”

The huge swell of support is a morale boost for the 290 port workers who were told on Wednesday their jobs were gone.

“We need jobs that are secure and safe, and that’s what the Ports of Auckland dispute is about – a group of workers who want the ability to be able to say when they’ll be free to spend time with their family, without the worry of being called in to work.”

As well as the Australians and Europeans, there’s also big support from United States unionists, with the union reps from there say the fallout from these redundancies could spread north.

“We’re here to support the working class and the port workers here with the Maritime Union of New Zealand,” Ray Familathe from International Longshore & Warehouse Union told ONE News.

From TVNZ