Ubisoft Staff Strike Over Layoffs and Workplace Conditions
Employee discontent at the French operations of video game developer Ubisoft has intensified further. In protest against successive layoffs, studio closures, and increasingly stringent working conditions, France-based employees of the company have announced a three-day strike. Multiple labor unions representing the workers said the strike will take place from February 10 to February 12. The news was reported by Engadget.
In a statement, the video game workers’ union Syndicat des Travailleurs du Jeu Vidéo said that management’s austerity-driven approach and the steady deterioration of working conditions are no longer acceptable. According to the unions, employees are being subjected to growing pressure through authoritarian management policies.
Recently, Ubisoft shut down its Halifax studio in Canada, closed its Stockholm studio in Sweden, and announced a global restructuring plan. At the same time, the company canceled six game projects and delayed the release of seven others. Additionally, a proposal has been put forward to lay off 200 employees at the company’s Paris headquarters.
Employee frustration has also been fueled by a new directive requiring staff to be physically present in the office five days a week. Union representatives emphasized that employees are Ubisoft’s core strength, warning that the company cannot move forward by ignoring their demands.
DBTech/BMT/OR
