Fired Rockstar employees denied interim pay by UK tribunal
What's the story
A UK employment tribunal has rejected a request for interim pay from fired Rockstar Games employees, while they await a full hearing regarding their dismissal. The Independent Workers Union of Great Britain (IWGB) accused the company of "union busting" after it laid off 34 workers last year, 31 in the UK and three in Canada.
Legal proceedings
Rockstar's defense and IWGB's response
Rockstar Games defended its decision to terminate the employees, alleging they were leaking confidential company information on a Discord channel. The two-day hearing last week ended with the tribunal denying interim relief. IWGB President Alex Marshall expressed confidence in their case, saying, "a full and substantive tribunal will find Rockstar's calculated attempt to crush a union to be not only unjust but unlawful."
Company stance
Rockstar stands by its actions
After the tribunal's decision, a Rockstar Games spokesperson reiterated their position on the dismissals. "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," they said. The ongoing legal battle comes as Rockstar continues to develop Grand Theft Auto VI, which was recently pushed from its original May release date to November 19.