A protest has been held outside the office of Rockstar North in Edinburgh following the sacking of more than 30 staff members in an alleged union-busting move.
The Independent Workers’ Union of Great Britain (IWGB) said it appears that staff at the company’s base in the capital have been sacked for “trade union activity” and claimed that the dismissals were “unlawful and retaliatory”.
They stated that all the affected workers were members of the union and a chat group on the Discord app.
A demonstration took place outside the office on Wednesday, with those taking part demanding the reinstatement of staff affected.
The IWGB said in a statement: “Over 30 members of UK staff at Rockstar Games, developers of the Grand Theft Auto series, were fired on Thursday, October 30, due to trade union activity.
“The staff, who were all part of a private trade union Discord channel and members of the Independent Workers’ Union of Great Britain, were dismissed in what the union argues constitutes unlawful and retaliatory dismissals.
“Organisers at the IWGB have reported that amongst the staff dismissed were those with visas sponsored by Rockstar and those with medical conditions who will lose access to essential workplace healthcare schemes.
“The IWGB, which sees this as a brazen act of illegal union busting, says it will be mounting a full and robust defence of its members who it believes have been targeted unfairly for exercising their legal rights.”
Grand Theft Auto (GTA), created by Rockstar Games, which is a subsidiary of Take Two Interactive, has been the most profitable video game franchise in the world, with GTA 5 having generated more than 8.0 billion US dollars (£6bn) in revenue since 2013.
Take Two Interactive has said the workers were dismissed for “gross misconduct” after confidential information was leaked.
Scottish Green co-leader Ross Greer joined the protest, and he described the firm’s actions as “bang out of order”.
The MSP added: “Nerds like me have sunk far too much of our lives into the brilliant games that they produce, but it’s the workers here who produce it.
“Rockstar have an opportunity now to hold up their hands to say that they got this catastrophically wrong and reinstate those workers.
“They need to do that immediately and then get around the table with the workers to recognise their union-organising activities.”
He said Rockstar could face a boycott of its products if it does not resolve the situation.
“If Rockstar wants to continue being one of the most profitable companies in entertainment, they need to treat their staff with respect, because their customers, those of us who buy their games, will be standing with their staff.”
In a statement released after news of the sackings broke last week, IWGB president Alex Marshall said: “Rockstar has just carried out the most blatant and ruthless act of union busting in the history of the games industry.
“This flagrant contempt for the law and for the lives of the workers who bring in their billions is an insult to their fans and the global industry.”
The company’s head of global corporate communications, Alan Lewis, previously said: “We strive to make the world’s best entertainment properties by giving our best-in-class creative teams positive work environments and ongoing career opportunities.
“Our culture is focused on teamwork, excellence, and kindness. 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.”
Rockstar Games has been approached for comment.
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