Port protesters turn on police

Protesters turned on police last night as the long-running port dispute turned ugly in Bluff on the eve of mediation talks.

Many of the 120 protesters became violent after officers escorted a truckload of casual workers into the port.

One man had to be restrained by police and protesters after he picked up a police baton, which had been dropped during a scuffle, and tried to hit officers.

Police communications officer Jo Galer said two men were arrested. One was charged with disorderly behaviour and the other with assaulting an officer.

Police used an aggressive crowd-control tactic called the "flying wedge" to surround the workers' truck and break through two pickets held yesterday at 7 am and 7 pm.

Last night's clashes broke out after protesters badgered police who ushered through workers from Tauranga-based Mainland Stevedoring.

Some protesters lay down in front of the truck and were either dragged off the road or shoved to the side by officers.

More than 50 police from Dunedin and Invercargill attended the picket, which was the latest chapter in the South Island ports dispute that flared in November.

The protesters oppose Mainland's use of casual workers instead of permanent unionised wharfies to load Carter Holt Harvey logs.

Southern district police commander Superintendent Nick Perry said picketers were confronting police mainly to gain media attention.

"It's quite plain that the pickets are being used to orchestrate a confrontation with the police - presumably for the picketers to make their point," Mr Perry said.

He described the violence as worse than protests at Port Chalmers last year.

"We have better uses for our resources then working on picket lines," he said.

Waterfront Workers Union national secretary Les Wells, who joined the Bluff picket yesterday, said protesters used a lot of restraint considering the number of police present.

He said the violence was aggravated by aggressive action taken by police early in the day.

People hurled abuse at officers as a woman protester was dragged away by her hair after being warned by police.

A 38-year-old Bluff woman will appear in the Invercargill District Court on Friday charged with disorderly behaviour.

Meanwhile, the first round of mediation in the dispute starts today.

Southland/Otago employment mediator Walter Grills said he would meet the Council of Trade Unions in Wellington.

Individual meetings with Carter Holt, Mainland and the waterfront union would be completed by the end of the week.

Until guidelines about the mediation were decided, protests against Mainland would not hinder the process, Mr Grills said.

For mediation to be successful it was essential that all parties wanted the dispute to be resolved, he said.

A decision agreed upon by all parties was binding.

- NZPA

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