Trade unions involved in gaming from Europe's five largest markets have decided to work more closely together following discussions in Paris. The working group that has been formed is planning specific actions in the near future.
The trade unions did not provide any further details about what these actions might involve. However, one thing became clear to everyone involved: by working together, employees could have a positive impact on their jobs, their careers, and their lives.
The union meeting took place last month in Paris on the sidelines of protests against the dismissal of Rocksar Games employees. Six unions or the unions' working groups responsible for games were involved: Coordinadora Sindical del Videojuego (CGT) from Spain, FIOM-CGIL Milan Work Council from Italy, Game Workers Unite Ireland (FSU) from Ireland, IWGB Game Workers from United Kingdom, Syndicat des Travailleureuses du Jeu Vidéo (STJV) from France and ver.di Game Devs Roundtable from Germany.
"We shared knowledge, talked about strategies and techniques, and discussed solutions to the challenges we share," according to a statement on the meeting published by STJV.
"Multinational companies already operate globally. Game workers already collaborate transnationally. It follows, then, that unions must also organise across borders."
The unions promise that something can be done, and that it will be. They also announce that they will expand cooperation between their organizations in both the short and long term.
The organization of workers in the games industry is a major but also a difficult issue in all Western markets, as not only workers' rights but also the structure and work of trade unions vary greatly from country to country.
Trade unions in various countries repeatedly use gaming events to highlight working conditions in the industry, but also to draw attention to their work. Just this year, US workers founded an industry union at the GDC. And the Gamedevs' Roundtable at Ver.di used gamescom 2024 to make demands for fair working conditions.
GamesMarkt subscribers can read more about the work of Verdi's Game Dev Roundtable in an interview with GamesMarkt.
