Grand Theft Auto producers, Rockstar Games, were recently accused of ‘union-busting.’ This sparked protests that attracted over 100 people, including former employees, outside the company’s offices in London and Edinburgh.
The Rockstar office in Edinburgh is located in Holyrood, formerly known as the Scottish company DMA Design, after the company relocated its operations from Dundee in the early 2000s.
The rallies, led by the Independent Workers’ Union of Great Britain (IWGB) on 30 October, were a result of the company laying off 31 UK branch workers after it accused them of attempting to unionise.
In a controversial statement to Bloomberg, a Rockstar developer argues that the workers were laid off as a result of spreading confidential information in a Discord server, stating: “This was in no way related to people’s right to join a union or engage in union activities.”
The IWGB represents workers, typically low-wage, migrant and gig-economy workers, who have previously been underrepresented. As a result, the sacking of these workers has fueled frustrations over concerns for their futures.
IWGB organiser, Fred Carter, joined the Holyrood headquarters rally, reporting to the BBC that he was there to stand with the workers who had been fired “without warning” or “reason”.
A student from The University of Edinburgh responded to the protests, claiming: “The workers have been unfairly treated. This is just another example of the recurring unjust treatment of employees in the workplace”.
Christine Jardine, the Liberal Democrat MP for Edinburgh West, also raised the issue in Parliament, saying she hopes this “won’t happen again”.
Image by Max Brown for The Student