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A judge has denied pay relief to a group of former employees dismissed by Rockstar Games, the creators of Grand Theft Auto (GTA). These staff members were terminated from Rockstar’s UK studios on allegations of gross misconduct, specifically accused of sharing confidential company information on a publicly accessible Discord server. The workers, who contend that their dismissals were due to efforts to form a union, sought legal recourse and requested interim relief to continue receiving pay while their case proceeds.
The Glasgow tribunal overseeing the matter declined to grant interim relief, explaining that it was unable to determine at this stage whether the workers were likely to succeed at a full hearing. The judgment, issued after a recent hearing, detailed that 29 employees from Rockstar’s UK locations—including Edinburgh, Dundee, and Lincoln—were all part of the Independent Workers Union of Great Britain (IWGB) game workers’ branch. These individuals were fired at the end of October last year, having been accused of disclosing confidential information on channels within the IWGB Discord server, which around 350 people, both current and former employees, had access to.
The tribunal highlighted concerns about the dismissal procedures, noting that the employees were sacked swiftly and with little or no prior notice, without suspension, disciplinary hearings, or an opportunity to respond to the accusations beforehand. Some dismissed staff had minimal or long-unused activity on the server. The judge stated, “There was no evidence of the respondent having suffered any adverse consequences as a result of these postings.” Moreover, the workers only learned which of their messages were deemed gross misconduct approximately six weeks after their terminations.
Although the staff claim that union membership was a key factor in their dismissals, the tribunal found it impossible to conclude this definitively. Rockstar maintained that it was unclear if those involved in the Discord server were all paying union members and noted that three Canadian employees without union ties were also dismissed. The company’s counsel cited “issues of urgency and ongoing confidentiality concerns” to justify the swift action taken. The interim relief hearing is separate from the forthcoming full tribunal, which will allow both parties to fully present their evidence. Judge Eccles remarked, “Whether the respondent’s reason and/or explanation withstand scrutiny at the final hearing may determine whether the claimants are ultimately successful in their claims.”
IWGB president Alex Marshall described obtaining interim relief as an “incredibly high bar” but expressed confidence in the union’s case, saying, “a full and substantive tribunal will find Rockstar’s calculated attempt to crush a union to be not only unjust, but unlawful.” Rockstar, in response to the ruling, stated they “welcomed the decision” which aligned with their stance throughout the process. A company spokesperson said, “We regret that we were put in a position where dismissals were necessary, but we stand by our course of action as supported by the outcome of this hearing.” Currently, Rockstar Games is engaged in the development of GTA 6, anticipated to be one of the biggest game releases ever
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