About 70 nurses and midwives from Wollongong, Shellharbour, Port Kembla, Bulli and Coledale hospitals stopped work for six hours to be among the masses sending the federal and state governments a message.

The crowd - which included nurses, teachers and disability and electrical workers - chanted "Fight for our rights" as they protested against federal policies including a review of workers' rights, cuts to Medicare and higher university fees.

NSW Nurses and Midwives' Association regional organiser Mark Murphy said the message was heard loud and clear.

"I think people are irate that the government's even going to consider taking away something like penalty rates," Mr Murphy said.

"I don't think they understand people who receive penalty rates; for nurses and midwives it means giving up personal time to provide patient care and that's time away from your family and friends and your social life."

Mr Murphy said some NSWNMA members would forfeit up to 30 per cent of their take-home pay if penalty rates were removed.

"It is a serious issue and nurses and midwives are serious about it; an attack on that is an attack on them [and] it's not on," he said.

"Today [Wednesday's rally] was definitely a big thumbs down to the attack on penalty rates."

The rally, part of a national day of action, also attacked the state government's privatisation of public assets, including hospitals and the planned electricity sell-off.

"There was a clear message sent out today that we're not going to accept that and the privatisation of public assets is not the answer to the current problems," Mr Murphy said.