"Stop this from happening again": UK politician calls out Rockstar over GTA 6 developer firings

Alleged union-busting astatine Rockstar North gets its time successful Parliament

Image credit: Take-Two Interactive

GTA 6 creators Rockstar person been called retired by a subordinate of the UK parliament for dismissing 31 Rockstar North employees successful an alleged lawsuit of union-busting. The person successful question, Christine Jardine of Edinburgh West and the Liberal Democrats, says that she has been approached by respective of the fired developers, whom Rockstar impeach of leaking confidential accusation during conversations with national organisers successful a backstage Discord channel.

Jardine has asked the Grand Theft Auto institution for much details, and wants a gathering with a authorities curate to sermon enactment for the affected workers. Intriguingly, she acknowledges that she has a struggle of involvement successful that 1 of her ain employees besides presently works for Rockstar.

"Video crippled elephantine Rockstar has sacked much than 30 workers crossed the UK, including my constituents moving astatine their Edinburgh office," Jardine wrote successful a societal media station past night, pursuing the House of Commons league successful question. "I urged Ministers to enactment workers who person mislaid their jobs, and halt this from happening again." The station includes a video successful which she gives a longer account, below.

I state an involvement due to the fact that I person an worker who works for the institution I'm astir to mention, though they are not affected by the actions taken. That institution is videogame institution Rockstar, who's fired astatine slightest 30 employees crossed its UK studios, including Rockstar North successful Edinburgh. Several of my constituents person been affected, and immoderate came to spot maine past week to explicit those concerns. They assertion they person been sacked due to the fact that they were trying to unionise, and discussing moving conditions successful private. But Rockstar person accused them of distributing confidential information, and sacked them for gross misconduct. I've written to Rockstar to inquire for accusation connected the issue, but I wondered, tin I tin person a gathering with the applicable curate to sermon what steps tin beryllium taken to enactment [the fired Rockstar staff].

Last week, RPS attended 2 pickets organised by the IWGB crippled workers national to protestation the Rockstar North firings. At a London gathering extracurricular Rockstar genitor institution Take-Two Interactive's offices, IWGB president Alex Marshall defended the close of the developers to organise and sermon their jobs successful meetings attended by national members. He called Rockstar's claims astir leaked worldly "completely disingenuous". The national are taking Rockstar to tribunal implicit the firings.

In Edinburgh, meanwhile, freelancer Alan Wen spoke to respective of the affected developers, who claimed that national rank astatine Rockstar reached the ineligible minimum required for statutory designation nether UK instrumentality soon earlier the wide firings. One protestor astatine the Edinburgh gathering characterised Rockstar's allegations of "gross misconduct" arsenic a "nuclear option" to unopen down the unionisation thrust earlier it could stitchery excessively overmuch momentum.

220 Rockstar North unit person present signed an unfastened missive to absorption calling for the contiguous reinstatement of the fired workers. Further protests person been held successful London and extracurricular Take-Two's Paris headquarters. There's different Edinburgh rally owed connected 18th November extracurricular the Scottish Parliament successful Holyrood.

Shortly aft the firings, Rockstar and Take-Two pushed backmost the merchandise of GTA 6 to November adjacent year. It doesn't strain credulity that institution enactment mightiness spot a unionised workforce arsenic a menace to their quality to enforce definite moving conditions, successful bid to vessel the present repeatedly delayed game. Rockstar precocious mandated a instrumentality to the office, successful reports confirmed by respective of the Rockstar North workers, and unit person crunched connected projects successful the past. It's besides credible that Rockstar mightiness beryllium hyper-sensitive astir the anticipation of task secrets going walkies pursuing a monolithic leak of GTA 6 materials backmost successful 2022.

This isn't the archetypal clip GTA 6 and Rockstar person been brought up successful a parliamentary league this week. Far close Polish person Witold Tumanowicz of the Confederation Liberty and Independence radical broached the "disturbing matter" of the GTA 6 hold successful footage shared connected Tuesday, presumably hoping to people immoderate #based points with his online groupies.