In the last two years, the gaming industry has become synonymous with layoffs from all sectors. The Video Game Worker’s Union (“Syndicat des Travailleurs du Jeu Vidéo”) is now protesting against the layoffs and working conditions in many of the cities of France. The movement is catching fire, as employees even from Ubisoft’s Barcelona Studio are joining the protest.
- First Demand – “Preservation of jobs, the cancellation of layoffs, and the accountability of decision-makers who must first make sacrifices themselves when their companies face difficulties.”
- Second Demand – “Companies’ full transparency about their financial situation and economic health, so that workers can plan their future, and profit sharing with workers.“
- Third Demand – “Consideration for work-related health and personal life, through work reorganization and the reduction of work hours.“
- Fourth Demand – “Direct participation of workers in decision-making at their companies to avoid management errors and control the proper use of private and public funding.“
The protestors ask for proper planning and setting up functional management to control the layoffs within the company. They also criticized the lack of transparency from the business to define the reason for layoffs. Another point of criticism hailed the large figures (CEOS and leaders) in the industry, and how they are shielded from layoffs or any sort of pay cut on their bonuses.
“There’s people taking terrible decisions and getting our industry into the state it’s in now” voiced Cambedouzou.
Developers protesting is not an uncommon occurrence in France. In the month of October last year, thousands of protestors from Ubisoft bought upon changes to the work-from-home policies. The layoffs also have hit the smaller studios as well, within the same month as the Ubisoft work-from-home protest, Don’t Nod, the company behind Life is Strange, Jusant, and Banishers: Ghost of New Edan lays off 69 workers., which was around 21% of their studio’s staff
Since the layoff from big and small studios has slowly been becoming a common practice; something to be expected from the gaming job sector. The pushback to these wide changes is also hitting the common ground as well. Many notable gaming veterans even address the mass layoffs of the industry in the award shows. Only time will tell if their industry adapts to a new standard to manage the employee relationship with the organization.
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