An Edinburgh city councillor is calling on the council to support 31 employees dismissed from the video game company Rockstar last month.
Green councillor Dan Heap has submitted a motion urging the council to provide the former staff with information on their welfare rights and assist them in applying for financial aid. The motion also asks the council leader to write to Rockstar, expressing concern and calling for the workers to be reinstated.
The dismissals are at the center of a dispute. Rockstar states the employees were fired for “distributing and discussing confidential information in a public forum.” However, the Independent Workers’ Union of Great Britain (IWGB), which represents some of the staff, claims the firings were a direct result of their union organizing efforts and has launched legal action.
The controversy involves a private, invite-only server on the messaging platform Discord, which the dismissed employees say was used for union organizing and should be protected under law. According to a report by the publication People Make Games, discussions about company policy on this server may have prompted the dismissals.
The Edinburgh office is currently involved in developing the next installment of the Grand Theft Auto franchise, scheduled for release next year. Take-Two Interactive, Rockstar’s parent company, was contacted for comment.
Source link
