KEY POINTS:
Unite Union will on Saturday protest against the new 90-day probation law for new employees .
The union, which covers people who work in areas such as call centres, hotels and restaurants, would be presenting the "Rat Patrol" at Auckland's Aotea Square to help fight unfair sackings, Unite National Director Mike Treen said.
"The Rat Patrol is named in reference to a six-metre high inflatable rat the Unite Union uses when picketing employers' premises with a sign around its neck saying `Don't be a rat: Give workers a fair deal'," Mr Treen said.
The Government's controversial legislation introducing 90-day probation for new employees becomes law on Sunday.
The legislation, passed in December, was opposed by Labour, the Greens, the Maori Party and trade unions.
It gives businesses with fewer than 20 workers the right to sack a new employee during the probation period, without risking a personal grievance case.
Dozens of people had volunteered to join an on-call squad to protest against employers who sacked people unfairly, and they would be marching, Mr Treen said.
Rat Patrol volunteers would be telling employers that if the Government took away the right to legally challenge an unfair dismissal then action had to be taken outside the framework of the courts, Mr Treen said.
- NZPA
