Several hundred Hong Kong stockbrokers have marched to the city's stock exchange to protest plans to trim their lunch break between morning and afternoon trading sessions to an hour.

The stockbrokers carried placards Thursday denouncing the plan to shorten the break by 30 minutes. Rally leaders handed a letter of protest to exchange officials.

The shorter lunch break is set to take effect in March and is the second phase of a plan to extend trading hours. Last year it was cut to 90 minutes from two hours.

Stock exchange officials say they need to bring trading hours in line with international rivals. But brokers say they need the time to meet with clients and attend IPO presentations.