Rockstar North Faces Union-Busting Allegations as 200+ Staff Condemn Firing of 31 Employees
One of Scotland’s largest games studios, Rockstar, is at the centre of a major industrial dispute, with the Independent Workers’ Union of Great Britain (IWGB) accusing the company of “union-busting” and initiating legal action following the abrupt dismissal of 31 employees.
The move has been met with widespread condemnation from staff. In a letter to senior management, more than 200 Rockstar North employees condemned the sackings and demanded the immediate reinstatement of their colleagues, all of whom in the UK were members of the IWGB.
The dispute stems from the abrupt dismissal of dozens of staff earlier this month. Rockstar’s parent company, Take-Two Interactive, initially cited “gross misconduct” before later alleging the fired employees had leaked sensitive company information.
Take-Two’s CEO, Strauss Zelnick, told IGN that the company was ‘proud of its culture,’ and the company stated the sackings were ‘in no way related to people’s right to join a union.’
This claim has been firmly rejected by staff and the IWGB. Union reps allege the workers were “fired illegally for unionising” via a private, legally-protected trade union Discord channel. The IWGB has filed a legal claim against Rockstar for what it calls a clear case of “victimisation and collective dismissal.”
“We are confident that what we’ve seen here is plain and simple union busting, and we will mount a full legal defence,” said Alex Marshall, IWGB president. “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.”
The Rockstar layoffs have already sparked protests outside Rockstar’s Edinburgh HQ. According to reports from RockPaperShotgun, union activity had intensified following the developer’s return-to-office mandate last year, with staff alleging the firings occurred shortly after the union hit the legal minimum for formal recognition.
The story has also escalated to a political level. Speaking in the Commons, Edinburgh West MP Christine Jardine confirmed that several of her constituents were directly affected and that she had written to Rockstar for more information, with the government promising to take the matter forward to ministers. In addition, Annie Wells MSP contacted the Scottish Games Network directly, to ask for the issue to be added to the agenda for the planned Games CPG.
The IWGB has pledged to “pursue all avenues” to see its members reinstated and has vowed to hold further demonstrations.
Protest and Support Fund
Despite the postponement of today’s scheduled Cross-Party Group meeting on the games ecosystem, the IWGB has confirmed that a planned demonstration will go ahead this evening.
Protesters and supporters are set to gather outside Rockstar North’s headquarters on Holyrood Road at 5:00 PM today (Tuesday, November 18th). The group will then march from the studio to the Scottish Parliament to highlight their case.
In parallel with the legal and direct action, a crowdfunding campaign has been launched to support the workers affected by the Rockstar layoffs. The fund aims to provide immediate financial relief to those who have suddenly lost their income.
#edinburgh #games #grossMisconduct #layoffs #openLetter #rockstar #scotland #unionisation
