Scabby the rat - A short history

Scabby the giant rat has been a Unite Union icon for as long as Unite has been around. An infrequent but very noticeable sight at union pickets and protests, this enigmatic rodent is much beloved by trade unionists and much maligned by employers the world over.

The tradition began in the United States, where the International Union of Operating Engineers in Plainfield, Illinois launched a “Name the Rat” contest. Scabby was the winning submission, a reference to the slang term for strikebreaking workers or ‘scabs’. This is somewhat contested by other unions in the States, but the name has stuck regardless.

The company that produced the giant inflatable rats, Big Sky, also produced a few other union related animals such as a cockroach, a ‘corporate fat cat’ and a ‘greedy pig’, some of which have also appeared in New Zealand. Historically, the rats depicted overseas have had oozing sores, red eyes and menacing claws. Unite Union’s rat by contrast is more cute, which has led to the meaning shifting over time.

For several years, Scabby the Rat was thought to be deceased, but rumours of his demise were greatly exaggerated. Since moving offices, the big rat has once again been deployed

against bad bosses, bad members of parliament and  bad governments as a whole!