The French game workers union, STJV, has asked Ubisoft employees to strike from October 15 to 17.
This follows a report on September 17 by GamesIndustry.biz that Ubisoft told its 19,000 workers globally they must be in the office three days a week. Although the exact start date for this policy is unknown, the union is acting swiftly.
STJV is worried about how this rule will affect workers, saying it was made “without any tangible justification or any consultation with the workers’ representatives.”
“After more than five years of working efficiently in the current remote-work context, many of our colleagues have built or rebuilt their lives (family life, housing, parenthood, etc.) and simply cannot return to the previous working conditions,” STJV wrote in a statement. “The consequence of its decision will be the loss of our colleagues’ jobs, the disorganization of many game projects, and the drastic increase in psychosocial risks for those who remain.”
The union wants Ubisoft to agree on a remote work policy and raise salaries to help with the cost of living.
So far, Ubisoft hasn’t said anything about the strike. Earlier this year, in February, over 700 workers went on strike after salary talks failed.
We think this situation is really tough for everyone involved.
The strike call adds to Ubisoft’s current troubles, like delaying big games like Assassin’s Creed Shadows and poor performance of Star Wars Outlaws. These issues caused a review of company projects and a big drop in stock prices. If many workers join the strike, it could delay even more projects and affect future deadlines.
