Rockstar Games Faces Tribunal Over Allegations of Unlawful Dismissals
- Rockstar Games is embroiled in an employment tribunal concerning the dismissal of 31 employees linked to union activity.
- The final hearing begins on September 10 and concludes on October 16, just prior to the release of Grand Theft Auto 6.
- The Independent Workers Union of Great Britain alleges the dismissals were unfair, seeking reinstatement or compensation on behalf of the former employees.
Two weeks after the Netflix reveal of Grand Theft Auto 6, Rockstar Games is preparing for the final hearing of an employment tribunal brought against it by 31 former employees of Rockstar North. The tribunal will address allegations that Rockstar “unlawfully” terminated these employees and “blacklisted” them for their involvement with a union, specifically the Independent Workers Union of Great Britain (IWGB). Rockstar previously attempted to dismiss these claims, but the tribunal ruled against their initial motion.
The hearing commences on Thursday, September 10, and will continue until October 16, less than two months before the anticipated release of GTA 6. The IWGB seeks either the reinstatement of the terminated workers or compensation, as well as a ruling that their dismissals were conducted unfairly, according to a press release from the IWGB.
Jason Lewis, a former employee, expressed, “For almost a year, the truth about what happened to us has been buried by Rockstar and surrounded by speculation. Now we finally get the chance to put it on the record.” He highlighted the emotional turmoil experienced by employees who felt their jobs and lives were upended after discussing working conditions.
In October of the previous year, Rockstar terminated 34 employees—31 of which were from Rockstar North in Scotland—citing “gross misconduct” due to alleged breaches of confidentiality regarding discussions in a private IWGB Discord channel. However, the employees refute this, stating their conversations focused on salary and human resources issues typical of union discussions.
These terminations were carried out immediately, with some employees reportedly being escorted from the premises. The IWGB claims that one Australian employee was forced to return to Australia following the withdrawal of his work visa. The fallout from these dismissals triggered widespread media attention and protests, elevating the issue to the UK Parliament, where it was addressed by then Prime Minister Keir Starmer. He stated, “It’s a deeply concerning case. Every worker has the right to join a trade union and we’re determined to strengthen workers’ rights.”
Ahead of the tribunal’s final proceedings, IWGB president Alex Marshall commented, “We believe Rockstar has tried to get away with Grand Theft Employment Rights.” The union hopes the hearings will uncover the truth behind the dismissals.
Additionally, this incident has prompted the formation of the Rockstar Game Workers Union, which continues to expand and has raised further allegations against the company, including issues related to enforced overtime, incentive payments, and gender-based pay disparities.
In a separate ongoing legal matter, Rockstar’s parent company Take-Two is currently attempting to compel Discord to release private user information connected to recently leaked gameplay footage of GTA 6.
News Courtesy of Eurogamer
