Grand Theft Auto maker Rockstar Games said it fired more than 30 employees in the UK for sharing information about the company in a forum that included non-employees, rather than for engaging in union activity.
Last week the Independent Workers' Union of Great Britain (IWGB) reported that more than 30 people were supplanted by Take-Two Interactive subsidiary Rockstar for trying to improve working conditions by joining a trade union. Take-Two and Rockstar initially said the employees were fired for “gross misconduct” but have now expanded their comments.
“We have taken 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,” A Rockstar representative told Bloomberg about this.. “This was in no way related to the right of people to join a union or participate in union activities.”
In a statement sent to Game Developer, a spokesperson for the IWGB said Rockstar is trying to “deviate” from the truth and remains concerned about “hardworking staff privately discussing and exercising their rights to a fairer workplace and collective voice.”
“Management is showing that it is not concerned about delays in GTA VIand that they are prioritizing union busting by targeting the very people who make the game,” they added. “Rockstar executives have received £443 million worth of tax breaks in recent years while showing complete disregard for the law or the livelihoods of their employees. At every turn, they chose profit over the workers and fans of their games.”
It is important to note that the IWGB has stated that UK workers have a legal right to engage in private discussions with union organizers, which supersedes any employment contract.
These discussions took place through a private Discord channel, which all laid-off workers joined. The IWGB said members of this Discord channel never discussed Rockstar products or games.
Today's news comes just hours after a group of IWGB members and supporters staged a protest outside Take-Two's London headquarters demanding the reinstatement of every sacked employee. “Rockstar Games fired over 30 IWGB union members only to intimidate them into silence,” reads a post on Bluesky advertising the picket.
The game developer has reached out to Take-Two Interactive for comment.
