An employment tribunal has ruled against Rockstar Games, one of the most powerful and profitable tech studios in the world, by refusing to strike out a claim by the Independent Workers of Great Britain (IWGB) union. The union brought a case, on behalf of 31 of its members, against the company for anti-union activity and blacklisting.
This is the latest stage of a legal dispute over union-busting by the studio as reported by Yorkshire Bylines, where workers have decided to form a union. The union had approached the company later last year with a litany of complaints.The unionised workers were then dismissed by the company, which claimed the dismissals were for “misconduct and breaches of confidentiality”.
Their case was also raised by Scottish Labour MPs in May.
The tribunal decision upheld the right of the IWGB to continue bringing blacklisting claims against the company at a final trial which will run from 10 September to 15 October this year. It will have implications for UK unions which are attempting to organise in the digitech sector, and the strength of the government’s Employment Rights Act which passed into law earlier this year.
Rockstar on the ropes
The ruling is a big setback facing Rockstar Games as it prepares for the planned release date of Grand Theft Auto VI on 19 November, widely anticipated to be the biggest game launch of all time.
The IWGB has also been preparing to take Rockstar to a tribunal over further allegations, including blacklisting by compiling information about workers involved in union activity in order to discriminate against them.
At the 17 June preliminary hearing, Rockstar sought to strike blacklisting claims from the case being brought against it, but the ruling rejects this attempt to narrow the scope of the case and confirms that every one of the union’s allegations relating to union-busting can proceed to trial.
Ellie Dunstan, one of the workers sacked by Rockstar in October 2025 said: “This ruling is a huge moment for us. Rockstar thought they could control the narrative. They’re wrong, and we look forward to proving it. Our case will now be heard in full and put to the test as it should be. The world will get to see for itself the evidence as to what happened last October.
We loved our work at Rockstar. Losing our passion, our colleagues and our incomes in the blink of an eye was devastating, and the company management has treated us with disdain ever since, refusing to grant us appeals or respond to basic evidence requests. After months of fighting to have our voices heard, this is a moment to celebrate. The judgment shows that even against a company with Rockstar’s resources, workers can stand together and demand accountability.”
A key tribunal for digitech sector unions
There are also fundamental issues at stake for UK trade unions where workers and unions have struggled to gain a foothold in the digitech sector, despite some unions announcing that among their target companies for recruitment and organising are in the sector, including Amazon, Apple and Google, and in locations including data centres, offices and retail outlets
The new Employment Rights Act includes the right of unions to obtain access to workers looking to organise a union. However, a number of unions are still calling for a second employment rights bill to close what they see as loopholes in the act. The Campaign For Trade Union Freedom has warned that the new laws on access to workers are weak and cumbersome and rely on the goodwill of employers being prepared to agree to access.
If they refuse, a union can seek redress at the Central Arbitration Committee, which could rule that the company must allow unions access to its workforce or face fines – the amounts of which, compared to the wealth of these companies, is pocket change.
Importantly, the tribunal later this year will be a test of what company anti-union activity and blacklisting looks like in the digitech sector, which will be watched with keen interest by unions across the UK.
Updated to correct a previous error in the name of the Independent Workers of Great Britain union.
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