The Independent Workers’ Union of Great Britain (IWGB) and Rockstar Games have traded more blows following a preliminary tribunal hearing this week. There, the IWGB asked a judge to grant the fired Grand Theft Auto 6 developers interim relief.
Interim relief is a method of financial support for people awaiting a full hearing. If the motion is granted, the fired GTA 6 workers will go back on Rockstar’s payroll, IGN reports – presumably until an overall outcome is reached.
The IWGB said in a statement issued to IGN that, “We hope this week’s tribunal will grant urgently needed relief to the workers whose lives were turned upside down by Rockstar’s brutal union-busting, leaving them and their families without incomes, without secure futures, and in some cases without even the right to remain in the country they have made their home.
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“However, no matter the outcome of this interim hearing, we remain confident in the strength of the case we have brought against Rockstar Games. We reiterate our firm belief that Rockstar broke the law when it summarily dismissed 31 of our members, and we look forward now to the day we face them in court for a full and substantive tribunal hearing.”
Rockstar suddenly fired 34 staff in November last year (31 of them in the UK, hence being covered by the IWGB) who happened to be unionising. Rockstar, however, said this was not why they were fired, pointing to alleged gross misconduct instead. Rockstar said the fired staff shared confidential information with people outside of the company on Discord.
The dismissals went viral and sparked protests outside of Rockstar North’s studio in Edinburgh, Scotland, and even reached parliament in the UK, with prime minister Keir Starmer calling the sudden firings “deeply concerning”.
“Even the smallest leak of any information relating to our products and practices can cause major commercial and creative damage”
“This case is not just about the suffering of the 31 people who lost their livelihoods in the blink of an eye,” the IWGB added. “This is about the arrogance of a company like Rockstar thinking that its size and profitability grant it an unlimited licence to abuse its workers, and to do so with impunity.”
Rockstar denied all claims in a counter-issued statement. “We have consistently made clear that we took necessary action against a group of individuals across the UK and Canada who discussed highly confidential information,” Rockstar told IGN, “including relating to game features from upcoming and unannounced titles, in an insecure and public social channel. This was a breach of long-standing and well-understood confidentiality policies.
“We regret that these dismissals were necessary; however, confidentiality is fundamental to everything Rockstar Games does. Global interest in our games is unparalleled. Even the smallest leak of any information relating to our products and practices can cause major commercial and creative damage – as we have seen in the past – and damage the experience of our loyal players and dedicated team.
“This was never about union membership. We have always taken a zero-tolerance approach to unauthorised releases of information – and we always will.”
