The misery surrounding Rockstar continues to grow, as legal action is now being taken against the Take-Two team.
More than 200 Rockstar North employees signed a letter addressed to management, calling the sudden dismissal of 31 employees a malicious anti-union act for which the company has shown no intention of apologizing. Rockstar was accused of anti-union practices when it laid off employees in early November. Although the company claimed the employees were laid off for leaking internal information, these claims were refuted by anonymous employees, as well as by a video from People Make Games. The video featured interviews with employees who had protested outside Rockstar North’s Edinburgh office several times since the dismissals. (We have continuously reported on these issues.)
The letter to management is the latest step in the effort to reinstate the fired employees. It contains harsh words about management and their actions, which the dismissed employees, the more than 200 signatories, and the Independent Workers’ Union of Great Britain (IWGB) regard as anti-union.
“It’s heartwarming to see so many of our colleagues supporting us and holding management accountable. While Rockstar wants us to be afraid, my courageous former colleagues are marching straight to our boss’s office and demanding that our voices be heard. They are not backing down. Everyone close to this situation knows that this is a blatant, unapologetic act of union busting. Rockstar employs many talented game developers who are crucial to creating our games,” said one of the fired employees who spoke anonymously.
All 31 dismissed employees were members of the growing Rockstar union. Many played key roles in establishing the union and were close to reaching the 10% membership threshold required for official recognition. These factors, along with the manner in which the employees were dismissed, make it clear to the IWGB that Rockstar’s actions are anti-union.
Along with the letter from current Rockstar employees, the IWGB has filed a legal claim against Rockstar after the company refused to meet with IWGB representatives acting on behalf of the dismissed workers.
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