IWGB Game Workers
@IWGB_GW
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Game Workers Unite! In the games industry? Join the union: A branch of the Independent Workers union. @IWGBunion
United Kingdom
Joined April 2018
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GAME WORKERS UNITE UK IS NOW A LEGAL TRADE UNION
We are proud to announce that we have become a branch of
@IWGBunion
- a small, dynamic and effective trade union.
Are you a worker and are worried you will be exploited by the games industry✊🏻✊🏿✊🎮
JOIN:
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We stand in solidarity with everyone with the incredible courage to expose abuse in our industry. We believe you and we are here for you. And if you can't speak out, we still have your back. Everyone should be able to thrive in our industry free from exploitation and abuse.
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We didn't expect Mario Maker 2 to feature a subplot of anti-union sentiment and management at the building site of Peach's Castle, yet we're left wondering:
Is Mario unionized? 🤔
Are the toads more unionized than the people who made this game?
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Game Workers Unite UK stands in solidarity with all Riot Games workers participating in today's walkout, to protest sexual harassment and Riots attempts to prevent sexual assault lawsuits via forced arbitration. ✊🏿✊🏽✊
#Riotwalkout
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We stand in solidarity with the workers at CDPR in light of the news that they'll be expected to crunch til September in order to finish Cyberpunk 2077. We had hoped that the revised release date would take pressure off the workers, not pile more on!
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Game development does not have a culture of instability. It has a culture of exploitation.
Developers know how to fix it. As Autumn Mitchell of ZeniMax Workers United put it, “We have something more certain than luck, something more powerful than hope: we have a union.”
The cycle of mass layoffs in game development isn’t a problem of the industry’s inherent “instability.” It’s a problem of exploitation.
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Unions aren't just for AAA workers! We welcome game workers from studios of all sizes - we are all stronger together! 💪
Indie Bosses Are Still Bosses: Exploitation and Unionization at Small Game Studios by Robin Trach
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History made today.
1st meeting of members & supporters of:
- World's first
@GameWorkers
legal trade union
- UK's first games industry trade union,
- World's second,
@stjv_fr
beat us to it
Incredibly excited and ready to dig into work with the amazing
@IWGBunion
✊🏻✊🏽✊🏿✊🎮
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Rockstar's recent announcement of mandatory 5 day in office working comes after months of uncertainty for workers there. Read our statement here:
And in the🧵below (1/5)
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In the past week, 500+ workers in the UK games industry have had their jobs put at risk. On Thurs 12th, 6 to 7:30pm we're holding an open meeting for any game dev in the UK. Find out about our union, your rights, and how we can stop this happening again.
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If you're in the games industry and in need of help at work, we've got you. Contact us in confidence and we will do everything we can to help. Together we are stronger.
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BIG news from us tomorrow.
Journalists, content creators - DM us and we'll add you to our PR list.
Everyone else - retweet, support, games industry in the UK is about to change for the better🎮✊🏿✊🏻✊
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Respect to Activision-Blizzard workers who are withdrawing their labour today in solidarity with victims of sexual discrimination and harassment, and rejecting the insulting and dismissive statements made by an Activision executive. You love to see it ✊
Many of us will not be working today in solidarity with the women that came forward. The statements made by ABK do not represent us. We believe women, and we will continue to strive to do better and hold others accountable. Actions speak louder than words.
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Unionised game devs🤝unionised games journalists
Congratulations to IGN workers on forming a union!
✨Hey, Listen!✨
We are the IGN Creators Guild and today, we're uniting in solidarity as we strive for a stronger, more equitable
@IGN
.
Support the
#IGNCG
by signing our petition:
@NewsGuild
@CWAUnion
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The actions taken by
@ustwogames
are an example of the power dynamics at play between employers and employees, between those looking to maintain the status quo and those looking to bring about change and improvement to their workplaces.
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Rockstar’s decision marks a U-turn from previous statements where the company insisted flexible work options would remain available, stating in an employee-wide email last year “This isn’t our first step to 5 days a week. No one wants to go back to the old way of working.”
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"If you think that executives are making a lot of money and you aren't, you're living in a myth."
The CEO of Activision Blizzard made $77,000 *an hour* in 2022.
Join our union and get the respect you and your co-workers deserve.
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''How the $36 billion video game industry burns out its best employees''
Our unionisation efforts are not there to disrupt the industry, they are there to save it.
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🔥📢 Lockwood Publishing workers are taking action today against unlawful redundancy.
We stand in solidarity with the workers who must not be ignored.
#LockwoodLockout
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"Alex Sobel, a Labour MP and vice-chair of the all party parliamentary group on video games, called on Ustwo to reinstate Kelmore.
“Every worker must be allowed the right to be a union member and to organise other workers. [...] ,” he added."
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"A union isn’t a third party that comes in to fix things. It’s artists, programmers, and QA testers; writers, user interface designers, and systems engineers."
A great read on unions in game dev! ✊🎮
If you're in the UK, you can join our union at:
Many video game industry workers are tired of the status quo, ready to leave behind a culture of sexism, harassment, and mismanagement. This is how the industry is unionizing, compiled into a 54-page zine we've been working on over the past year:
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We now have an executive committee🎊🎉✨
Treasurer -
@RebornRider
Vice-secretary -
@SirPsychoBexy
Vice-chair -
@Decabus
Chair -
@Spydarlee
Secretary -
@AustinKelmore
👏🏽👏🏿👏👏🏽👏🏿👏👏🏽👏🏿👏
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Who would have thought that shining a light on labour issues could lead to positive change for workers? 😉 This is promising news.
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1 in 3 game devs are neurodivergent and are entitled to reasonable adjustments from their studio. It's clear a failing government has nothing to offer us. By unionising, we can get the fair treatment we all deserve. Join our union today:
'If you're feeling depressed...It doesn't mean that we should assume you can't work.'
PM Rishi Sunak outlines his five key welfare reforms.
'The first is that we should be more ambitious in assessing people's potential for work'
📺 Sky 501 and YouTube
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Crunch is not inevitable, it's a choice that management imposes on workers. It's harmful in both the short and long term and corrosive to the culture and longevity of our industry as a whole.
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''The GWU UK, which is signing up members from Friday and will hold an inaugural meeting on Sunday, follows on from a movement that originally sprung up at a games convention in the US.''
@guardian
on our efforts, w/ interview from our very own
@Spydarlee
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@RunDaltonRun
@GameWorkers
@ustwogames
While we appreciate the support, the actions taken against Austin are from bosses and not other Ustwo workers.
Support them and celebrate
#BlackHistoryMonth
with them ✊🏾
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Without a strong union in every games studio, this will continue to happen. It's time for game devs to be treated with respect, rather than used to make billions and then fired with no second thought.
Join our union at:
For an industry that's valued in the hundreds of *billions*, it's truly nuts that thousands of people — probably more than 5,000 — were laid off this year.
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Every worker's contribution matters to the success of a project, and every worker deserves their name in the credits. Punitive credits policies are common in the games industry, but as our own
@AustinKelmore
says, it doesn't have to be that way.
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Last month, GWU UK officially turned one year old! We’ve had an amazing first year in 2019, all thanks to our brilliant organisers, members, and supporters - every single one of you! ✊
Let's look at all the amazing things that we've managed to do together!
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If your bosses are saying you don't need to unionise, then you probably need to unionise.
Collectively you have more power to negotiate than individuals, which is why they don't want you doing it!
Sign up now:
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Yesterday's outpouring of support for Austin was really something. Thanks to all our allies here in the UK and beyond - fighting for justice can be tough and emotionally exhausting work, and your solidarity and positivity is so valuable! ✊
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Hey everyone, thanks so much for your support and fire today 🔥 Please bear in mind that the actions taken against Austin come from
@ustwogames
bosses, not their other employees. They too deserve your support and solidarity ✊
#NotUs2
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Actions speak louder than words.
@CDPROJEKTRED
bosses once publicly vowed their workers would not have to crunch on Cyberpunk 2077, but pretty press releases aren't worth much now that mandatory 6-day weeks have been imposed. Solidarity with the workers! ✊
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Great to hear Double 11 has given all employees a 2.5k raise to deal with the cost of living. The companies we work for made millions during COVID. Not all companies will do this from their own goodwill - join our union & push for a better deal for you & your colleagues.
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We want to thank everyone again for supporting Austin. Unfortunately he has not been reinstated, so we have filed a legal claim against
@ustwogames
with the employment tribunal and will keep everyone posted as the case progresses.
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After 9 months of hard work, we are finally here - a legal trade union.
So let's PARTY ! ! 🎊🎉🍸
Grime, R&B, Dance music, salsa, arcade machines, stone-baked pizza, craft ales etc
Jan 26th - invite your friends, colleagues, everyone!
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Over the last few days, we’ve so many game devs join our union. ❤️
We’re the largest union for game devs in the UK. Together we can make a games industry where mass layoffs, crunch and inequality are a thing of the past. ✊
Join our union at
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Remember why we're here - Austin has lost his job and might even be deported just for trying to make his workplace and our industry a better place, and
@ustwogames
bosses have broken the law. We can't let this treatment slide - we'll stand together and demand better for workers.
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Not at all! We'll be opening for legal trade union membership before the end of the year✊
There is pressure for it though,
@GameWorkers
and
@GWU_UK
are pushing for greater unionisation of games workers, but it sounds like there's a long way to go.
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We are changing the games industry, saving jobs and helping game workers improve their companies.
A healthy industry is a unionised one. Join us! ✊ ✨
The gaming industry is notoriously devoid of unions. Yet as misogyny and overwork take their toll on workers, that’s beginning to change, writes
@oswarren
.
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We send solidarity to fellow games workers in Russia and thank them for speaking out. Such conditions need to be gone from the games industry.
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Our members are in solidarity with the RMT. Collective action & bargaining are the only tools we have to fight back against bosses, and secure good conditions. Asking workers to "play nice" and bear the brunt of inflation & rising living costs is unacceptable. We stand together!
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We want to give our support to everyone affected by the redundancies at Epic and Creative Assembly.
Here is our guidance on redundancies in the UK and how workers can push back against them to save jobs and get better redundancy terms.
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It's great to see another union form in the games industry!
If you're a game dev working in the UK, join our union at
CD Projekt Red devs unionise after its third round of layoffs in three months
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Is Mario a scab worker undermining union efforts by working under conditions that violate health and safety regulations,
because he is connected to the monarchy?
Can anybody check the original Japanese text?
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Another day and more layoffs in the games industry - with CEOs buying up multiple studios and gutting the staff who've made those games, we need a union in every games studio more than ever.
We're the largest union for UK game devs - join us here:
NEWS: Embracer Group has canceled a Deus Ex video game that was in development for ~2 years and laid off an unspecified number of staff at Eidos Montreal:
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Eligible to be a member? Join your first games industry trade union!
Just wish to support the cause and help organising? There's space for that too!
✊✊🏽✊🏿🎮
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Another games studio in the UK making their staff redundant.
It's time for every games studio to be unionised. Join the largest union for game devs at:
Frontier is the latest company to announce layoffs, with an unknown number of staff to be affected by an 'organisational review' of the business
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It's party time! ❤ To celebrate GWU UK's first birthday and our achievements over the last year, we'd like to invite you all to The Jago in Dalston, London, on the 15th of February. Everyone is welcome. Food, music, and friends - see you there! Details:
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Even more layoffs.
With a strong union in every games studio, game devs can come together to prevent mass layoffs and improve their conditions, including better redundancy payouts.
Join the largest union for game devs in the UK today:
British developer Supermassive Games (Until Dawn, The Quarry) plans to lay off around 90 workers, Bloomberg has learned. It's the latest mass layoff in what has been and will continue to be a brutal year for the video game industry
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We are working with
@IWGBunion
on a statement of solidarity regarding the recent events in the US.
We strongly condemn and stand against racism and white supremacism.
#BlackLivesMatter
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Game devs need a union.
Join the largest union for game devs in the UK -
Over 6,000 developers have been laid of this year. The same year that studios have received unprecedented praise for the quality of the games they’re making. The same year that the industry has maintained its trajectory of reaching 320 billion in revenue vs. 120 billion in 2017.
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Our trade union would not exist w/out the extraordinary efforts by the
@GameWorkers
International movement that began at this year's GDC. We extend solidarity w/ all the GWU chapters worldwide & hope soon we will be legally protecting workers globally✊🏻✊🏿✊🏽🎮
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Did you know that the International Worker's Day originates from Chicago workers striking in a push for an eight hour day? ✊🏾✊🏿✊
Let's continue their fight by ending the game industry's reliance on crunch.
#MayDay
#LabourDay
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Last year, Take Two paid their CEO and President $72 million in bonuses.
We don't have to face endless layoffs and precarity. With a strong union at every games studio, we can fight for job security.
Join our union today to change the games industry:
Take-Two laying off 5% of staff, approximately 580 people, as it launches its third cost reduction program in 14 months
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More studios closing, with livelihoods put at risk. Last year the CEO and President of Take-Two got $72 million in bonuses.
Every game dev needs to unionise - join the largest union for the UK games industry today:
NEW: Take-Two Interactive plans to shutter two studios as part of a mass layoff announced last month: Roll7 (Rollerdrome, OlliOlli World) and Intercept Games (Kerbal Space Program 2)
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"Strongest quarters for new releases ever." and increased sales, followed by laying off 900 more employees. Without a strong union in your workplace, these waves of redundancies will keep happening.
Join the largest union for UK game devs at:
Embracer confirms 900 layoffs following net sales upswing
The Swedish conglomerate indicated it will continue making layoffs despite quarterly net sales rising by 13 percent to $170.5 million
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Yesterday
@GIbiz
posted a statement from
@LockwoodLKWD
CEO
@hallibjornsson
regarding the illegal redundancy process they're taking against workers there.
The workers at risk would like to offer their counters to a number of things he said.
#lockwoodlockout
#saveavakin
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The effects of crunch on game devs is plain for all to see. The only way we can make the games industry a healthy and safe place to work is by coming together in a union. ✊
Join us at
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Game Workers Unite UK now has organisational chapters in:
Cambridge✅
East Midlands✅
London and the South East✅
North East✅
Scotland✅
South West✅
West Midlands✅
Yorkshire✅
There's never been a better time to get involved💪🏽💪🏻💪🏿
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Game Workers Unite UK support the workers of JD Wetherspoons, McDonalds and TGI Fridays✊🏿✊🏻✊🏽
#FFS410
#SpoonStrike
#McStrike
#AllEyesOnTGIs
#FastFoodGlobal
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We are aware of complaints of racism made regarding one of our members. We want to make it clear that we take complaints of this nature very seriously.
We've been in contact with the person making the report and thank them for coming forward as we know it is difficult to do so.
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We have been overwhelmed by the messages of support from all across the world, our cause is truly long overdue. Together, we'll change this industry for the better✨
Next stop - our inaugural union meeting in London tomorrow. Share it w/ your colleagues!
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Another games studio unionised!✊
If you work in the UK games industry, join our union today - link in the bio!
Embracer-owned studio Flying Wild Hog has unionized
"The union membership has been steadily growing, and if you too want to act and change the industry for the better—contact us!"
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A CEO monitoring messages, using AI to identify 'toxic' people to fire to 'manage burnout' is as absurd as it is dystopian.
Tackle burnout through proper staffing, project management and employee representation.
Game devs need a union, not a Black Mirror episode.
Alex Nichiporchik, the CEO of Hello Neighbor publisher tinyBuild, says his company uses AI to identify "problematic" employees.
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@betterthemask
This is not a statement by GWU UK and we are working on a response to it ourselves, as we do not agree with it.
We're planning to submit a motion at our upcoming AGM to allow our members to discuss and vote on separating from GWU International.
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Video game devs🤝TTRPG workers
Proud to announce our union's membership is now open to tabletop and board game workers! Join our union today - link in the bio!
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Featuring a quote from or own
@RebornRider
:
"As Riot Games employees walk out, discontent swirls among video game industry workers"
#RiotWalkout
Read more on the
#RiotWalkout
from both me and
@nicolekarlis
(who was a joy to co-write with) on
@Salon
Now more than ever, we need to talk about these issues in the video game industry and beyond.
Thanks to
@GameWorkers
@guldeuxchats
and
@wordsfromsu
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Charlotte is having to sell her house after being sacked at
@LockwoodLKWD
. They only gave her false excuses about the studio finances while raking up profits and giving them to their spouses.
Lockwood's move is illegal and we will continue to fight it.
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Workers at Rockstar have concerns over how this will impact their lives, particularly for employees with disabilities, caring responsibilities or health issues. The ability to work flexibly allows Rockstar employees to continue making great games.
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When workers start comparing notes, executives start to sweat ✊
Employees at Blizzard Entertainment began circulating a spreadsheet to anonymously share salaries and recent pay increases, the latest example of rising tension in the video game industry over wage disparities and executive compensation
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Highlights from our 2023 Annual General Meeting - the largest meeting of unionised game devs in the UK so far! ✊🧵1/6
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THREAD
Our choice of asking
@IWGBunion
to take GWU UK as a branch was based on its victories with the most precarious workers, in sectors that are not traditionally unionised. This is a selection of just some of their victories:
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By building a union at Rockstar, and across the games industry game devs can ensure fair treatment, job security and a good work-life balance.
Work at Rockstar? Join our union today at:
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With a new round of sexual harassment/abuse reports in the games industry becoming public, we want to reaffirm our support for those impacted by those abusing their power. If any of our members are facing similar issues, please reach out and we'll do everything we can to help you
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Activision just laid off 800 people nearly 800 people (8% of its employees) after all-time record earnings.
If youre working at Activision or King in the UK, we're here to help, advice and support!
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The inaugural meeting of Game Workers Unite UK branch of
@IWGBunion
is about to get underway. An exciting start to improving workers' conditions in the industry.
"Do you have to tell your employer that you have joined a trade union?
No."
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It's great to see another group of game devs coming together to form a union, this time at SEGA America!
If you work in the UK games industry, you can join our union at
SEGA of America is the latest video game company to unionize, following Activision Blizzard and Zenimax:
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Numerous studies have proven that productivity doesn't drop when a four-day working week is implemented. If games industry will be at the forefront of dealing with mental health crisis at work, why not trailblaze and offer this?
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We're trying out a new look - a bit more colourful than before! What do you think? 💅✨
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QA are devs.
All game workers need a union.
Bungie’s leadership has referred to the QA team as “non developers” in a meeting.
Bungie has fired 10% of their internal QA department between early October & early November.
Via
@IGN
-
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More redundancies announced. Every game dev needs a union - join us at
Together we can fight job security and a better games industry for everyone!
Significant job losses are expected at Worms publisher Team17, sources close to the company have told Eurogamer
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More game devs laid off, with close to 6000 globally this month alone. At a time of crisis, game devs need to come together. As a union, we can support people at risk of redundancy, and build an industry with job security. Join our union today at:
Report: Microsoft follows Activision Blizzard merger with 1,900 layoffs
The company spent $68.7 billion on its merger with Activision Blizzard but claims it must now implement a "sustainable cost structure"
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In February 2023, 170 workers at Rockstar's UK studios signed a petition organised by our union calling for the ability to stay working flexibly from home, or choose to work in the office.
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A massive thank you to the Icelandic Confederation of Labour for their letter of support for the
@LockwoodLKWD
workers facing unlawful redundancy.
Iceland has some of the strongest labour laws in the world, making
@hallibjornsson
's actions even more shameful.
#lockwoodlockout
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In case you wondered, this isn't our first union action! We became a
@IWGBunion
branch late last year and have been advising and helping members win cases - including wrongful dismissals - ever since! But the work is sensitive, and we only publicise action with a member's consent
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Many thanks to
@uk_ie
for their groundbreaking survey of the UK games industry. Their report is food for thought for everyone - we're particularly concerned by the staggering disparity in class backgrounds among game workers and the numbers experiencing mental health problems.
The results of the largest ever UK games industry census are live now on our site.
Over 3200 people from the sector responded to questions about their background and the way they work
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At develop today?
Swing by the Loading Bar Brighton to play the games created during the Workers Game Jam. ✊🏾
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Work with us to unionise the UK games industry! 🙌
Deadline for applications: 28th November!
📢 WORK WITH US! 📢
The UK gaming industry makes billions in revenue, yet workers are treated poorly, underpaid, and vulnerable to mass redundancies.
If you want to work at the IWGB fighting for better conditions in the gaming industry, apply below!
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More and more tech publications are reporting on the true nature of some parts of the games industry in the UK. We were happy to give help out with Compelo's report ✊
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GWU UK sends solidarity to the Uber drivers on strike today
#Uberstrike
#Ustrike
@United_PHD
@IWGBunion
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Friends! Our AGM, the most important GWU UK meeting of the year, is taking place on April 28th in London!
Everyone is welcome! Expect knowledge sharing, updates, open discussions, elections and a guest talk by the wonderful Meg Jayanth (
@betterthemask
)!
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