- UK Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer says Parliament will investigate union-busting allegations against Rockstar
- The studio fired 31 Grand Craft Auto 6 employees in October
- The UK Independent Workers' Union claims Rockstar fired employees for trying to unionize, but Take-Two denies the allegations
UK Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer said the UK Parliament will investigate allegations of union-busting against Rockstar Games following the sacking of 31 studios. Grand Craft Auto 6 developers in October.
According to IGNLocal Rockstar North MP Chris Murray spoke during Parliament on 10 December to brief Starmer on the issue, saying: “Video game company Rockstar in my constituency fired 31 staff last month without providing evidence or union representation. [Independent Workers Union of Great Britain] The IWGB says it is undermining trade unions. After meeting with Rockstar, they were unable to convince me that they were complying with labor laws, and I shared the concerns about union busting.
“Given that this Government is responsible for the biggest expansion of workers' rights in a generation,” Murray continued, “does the Prime Minister agree that all companies, regardless of profit margin, must follow UK employment law and all workers have the right to join a trade union?”
In response, Starmer acknowledged the case as “deeply troubling” and said parliamentary ministers would look into the matter.
“This is a very worrying case,” Starmer said. “Every worker has the right to join a union, and we are committed to strengthening workers' rights and ensuring they do not face unfair consequences for union membership. Our ministers will consider the specific case that he [Murray] raises and will keep him updated.”
Union busting has consequences! UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer says the government will consider sacking @RockstarGames 31 union members. pic.twitter.com/4EEM9NvcR7December 10, 2025
MP Chris Murray, in a subsequent statement to IGN, shared more information about his attempts to discuss the issue with Rockstar, including a joint meeting with Edinburgh MPs Tracey Gilbert and Scott Arthur at the Rockstar North offices, which reportedly began with a standoff over signing a non-disclosure agreement (NDA).
“The meeting began with deputies refusing to enter until a non-disclosure agreement was signed, and they ultimately withdrew that request after it became clear that it would not be signed,” Murray said.
“The meeting only heightened my concerns about the process Rockstar used to fire so many of its employees. “I was not convinced that their process paid close attention to UK employment law, I was not convinced that this course of action was necessary and, worryingly, I did not come away informed as to what exactly these 31 people had done to justify their immediate dismissal.”
Following the October layoffs, the IWGB said Rockstar fired staff to stop workers from forming unions: “This is the most ruthless act of union-busting in the history of the UK games industry… We will not back down, and we are not afraid – we will fight for the reinstatement of every member.”
Bloomberg also reported that the employees were part of a private union chat group on Discord, and all were either union members or trying to organize within Rockstar.
Rockstar and parent company Take-Two have denied the allegations. that they arose from attempts by workers to unionize, but instead because employees were leaking company secrets, including “confidential information.”
“Last week, we took action against a small number of individuals who were found to be distributing and discussing confidential information in a public forum, which is a violation of our company policy,” the statement said.
“This was in no way related to the right of people to join a union or participate in union activities.”
GTA 6delay occurred shortly after the shooting, and the game is now expected to release on November 19, 2026.
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