The Independent Workers’ Union of Great Britain (IWGB) has filed legal claims against GTA 6 developer Rockstar Games following the recent dismissal of 31 employees. Parent company Take-Two described the firings as being due to “gross misconduct.” However, IWGB alleges that Rockstar’s actions were a direct attempt to suppress union activity ahead of what is expected to be one of the biggest video game launches in history.
Rockstar stated the employees were let go after “distributing and discussing confidential information in a public forum.” The IWGB, however, sees the situation differently. “What we’ve seen here is plain and simple union busting,” IWGB president Alex Marshall said in a statement released November 12 announcing the organization’s legal action. He added, “Employers like Rockstar would do well to understand that private spaces such as trade union Discord servers have protections, and that their company’s contractual clauses do not supersede UK law.”
According to an October Bloomberg report, the 31 dismissed employees were all part of a private Discord group focused on discussing unionization. This group was reportedly key to the early stages of union organization at Rockstar. At the time of the dismissals, Take-Two spokesperson Alan Lewis told GamesRadar+, “Rockstar Games terminated a small number of individuals for gross misconduct, and for no other reason. As always, we fully support Rockstar’s ambitions and approach.”
When contacted for a response to the IWGB’s legal claims, Lewis commented, “We do not have any comments beyond the statements that both T2 and Rockstar Games issued over the last two weeks on the matter.”
The IWGB has not yet issued a further official response to press inquiries. However, the group voiced its position on social media, sharing a pointed message on November 6: “Fire 31 staff for organising a union, realise you’ve fucked up, put out a misleading statement about leaks even though there haven’t been leaks, delay game, disappoint fans. All in a week’s work for Rockstar.”
Summing up the union’s stance, Marshall stated, “We will not be intimidated.”
As this legal battle unfolds, the case could set important precedents for workers’ rights and union protections in the UK video game industry and beyond. Stay tuned for further updates as this story develops.
https://www.gamesradar.com/games/grand-theft-auto/delay-game-disappoint-fans-all-in-a-weeks-work-for-rockstar-labor-group-issues-legal-claims-against-gta-6-dev-rockstar-for-simple-union-busting-after-firing-31-staff/
