Shortly before the console release of GTA 6 on November 19th, the debate surrounding a union at Rockstar is growing: The Independent Workers of Great Britain (IWGB) have now stated how many employees they could represent – and the number is quite high.
How big would the Rockstar union be?
According to Rock Paper Shotgun, the IWGB cites information from Game File. Accordingly, a successful recognition vote would result in a bargaining unit of more than 1,600 employees. According to the union, this would be almost all employees of Rockstar's British studios below director level. The IWGB speaks of the "largest recognized union in the UK games sector."
For comparison: According to Bloomberg, Rockstar employs over 4,700 people worldwide across twelve locations. Employees in the USA, India, and other countries would not be covered by the British union.
When will the vote take place?
The recognition votes in the UK will run from November 12th to November 26th. The start is therefore one week before the console launch of GTA 6. Only after the vote will it be decided whether Rockstar must recognize the union as a bargaining partner. The exact outcome of the vote remains uncertain.
What are the employees' concerns?
Union representative Shanti Easton-Steel names greater honesty and openness in decisions affecting employees as a core point. She specifically cites the gender pay gap, inconsistent and changing rules for overtime compensation, and concerns about job security after the release.
In parallel, an employment tribunal case is ongoing: Last year, Rockstar dismissed 34 predominantly British employees. The publisher accuses them of endangering confidential information on a Discord server set up by union organizers. The IWGB views this as an attempt to break the union. The case is also expected to be decided around the GTA 6 launch.
The vote changes nothing for the release on November 19th. Nevertheless, the question of working conditions at Rockstar is thus brought into focus – especially after reports of long crunch periods for major games. From our perspective, the timing is no coincidence: Shortly before launch, the workforce's leverage is greatest. You can read more about the background in our report on the union vote amidst the launch. Information about the game itself is available at Rockstar Games, information about the union at the IWGB.
Source: Rock Paper Shotgun
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