Three Scottish Labour Members of Parliament have accused Grand Theft Auto 6 developer Rockstar of obstructing legal processes over alleged union-busting with “silence and closed doors”.
Rockstar initially made headlines following the firing of staff members in a move seen by many as ‘union busting’ in October last year. The company, however, claimed the affected staff were fired for gross misconduct. Soon after, UK trade union Independent Workers’ Union of Great Britain (IWGB) issued a legal claim against Rockstar for these dismissals, again noting that those affected were union members. The following month, more than 200 employees from Rockstar North signed a letter to management condemning its actions.In the time since, the issue has been brought up in Parliament, and in December, UK prime minister Keir Starmer called the controversial dismissals “deeply concerning”.
With the legal battle still ongoing, several Scottish Labour MPs have now called for greater transparency from Rockstar, with IWGB saying the developer has “failed to cooperate with basic disclosure requests, refused to provide evidence in full and investigation reports, and denied workers their right of appeal”.
Chris Murray, the Labour MP for Edinburgh East and Musselburgh, said from his first meeting with those impacted by Rockstar’s dismissals, he has “held concerns with both the handling and motivation” behind this action.
“Constituents have lost their jobs, their income, with one constituent even forced to leave the country due to the removal of their visa sponsor,” Murray said in a press release today. “During a recent meeting with a constituent they explained Rockstar’s justification for their dismissal has varied throughout this process. Rockstar must answer this case with transparency and full cooperation and uphold the right to appeal.”
Labour MP for Edinburgh North and Leith Tracy Gilbert added that “every worker deserves the right to a fair appeal process and to have their voice heard”, calling it “extremely disappointing” that Rockstar has “refused to properly engage with staff, representatives and trade unions” throughout the legal process. “Workers asking for fairness, transparency and respect should not be met with silence and closed doors, especially when livelihoods and workplace rights are at stake,” Gilbert said.
Edinburgh South West Labour MP Dr. Scott Arthur echoed these views, adding that a former Rockstar employee impacted by the recent dismissals had “expressed concern that the company has not cooperated fully or transparently in helping him understand what occurred”.
Said Arthur: “When I visited Rockstar late last year alongside fellow MPs, my discussions with senior management emphasised their responsibility to treat staff in an open, fair, and transparent manner. Based on the account shared by my constituent, it appears that these principles are not being consistently upheld in practice.
“The UK Government is overseeing the largest expansion of workers’ rights in a generation, and as Members of Parliament we have a duty to challenge unfair employment practices and unjust dismissals. Rockstar must therefore cooperate fully and transparently with any investigations into alleged union‑busting and ensure that both dismissed and current employees are treated fairly and with respect.”
Eurogamer has asked Rockstar for comment.
Amidst this ongoing legal battle, Rockstar is getting ready to release Grand Theft Auto 6, which is expected to launch on Xbox Series X/S and PlayStation 5 this November. Early last year, a report suggested that GTA 6 could retail for $100. In April, Take-Two CEO Strauss Zelnick discussed GTA 6’s price, and while he didn’t give us that all important figure, he stressed that the company’s “job is to charge way, way, way less of the value delivery”.
