22 trade union leaders have signed a letter joining the call for GTA 6 developer Rockstar to recognise the IWGB Game Workers union
A coalition of 22 trade union leaders has signed a joint letter calling on Rockstar Games to formally recognize and bargain with the Independent Workers' Union of Great Britain…
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A coalition of 22 trade union leaders has signed a joint letter calling on Rockstar Games to formally recognize and bargain with the Independent Workers' Union of Great Britain (IWGB) Game Workers union. As reported by Rock Paper Shotgun, the letter represents a significant escalation in the push for organized labor representation at the high-profile developer of the upcoming Grand Theft Auto VI.
The correspondence is addressed directly to Rockstar's studio director, Jennifer Kolbe, and the company's head of HR, Rob Spampinato. Together, the 22 signatories represent more than 1.3 million workers spanning a wide array of professional fields, demonstrating broad cross-industry solidarity with the studio's game development staff.
Broad Support Across UK Trade Unions
The list of union leaders supporting the IWGB's initiative includes representatives from several prominent United Kingdom labor organizations. Among the participating groups are leaders from Artists' Union England, the British Medical Association, the National Education Union, the Social Workers Union, and the United Tech and Allied Workers (CWU).
According to the letter, the IWGB has a proven record of organizing and uniting video game workers. The signatories point to the union's previous success in securing the video game sector's first formal recognition agreement at Disco Elysium developer ZA/UM. The letter asserts that UK-based workers at Rockstar have explicitly chosen the IWGB to represent them, and argues that Rockstar leadership should respect that collective choice by entering into formal recognition and bargaining.
Employee Allegations of Crunch and Pay Disparity
The unionization push arrives alongside serious allegations from current UK-based Rockstar employees regarding the company's internal culture and contract terms. As reported by Rock Paper Shotgun, staff members have alleged that Rockstar actively "bakes crunch" directly into its employment contracts.
Furthermore, current employees allege that the studio is managing a widening gender pay gap. There are also allegations that management weaponizes employee bonuses to enforce worker compliance.
Upcoming Employment Tribunal
In addition to the public campaign for recognition, Rockstar is facing legal scrutiny over its handling of union organizing. The IWGB is currently supporting former Rockstar workers in an active employment tribunal regarding allegations of unlawful dismissal.
The former employees claim they were terminated from the studio specifically because of their union activity. A final hearing for the tribunal is scheduled to begin in September, which could bring further attention to the ongoing labor dispute.
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