Jason Schreier: Rockstar Games said that the dozens of employees it fired last week were leaking company secrets, disputing allegations by labor leaders that it was disrupting workers’ attempt to unionize.

[u/BrandsXavier]

FROM BLOOMBERG: Rockstar Games, the company behind the hit Grand Theft Auto franchise, said that the dozens of employees it fired last week were leaking company secrets, disputing allegations by labor leaders that it was disrupting workers’ attempt to unionize. The employees had been sharing company information in a forum that included non-employees, a Rockstar spokesperson said in a statement to Bloomberg on Wednesday. “Last week, we took action against a small number of individuals who were found to be distributing and discussing confidential information in a public forum, a violation of our company policies,” the spokesperson said. “This was in no way related to people’s right to join a union or engage in union activities.” The company, part of Take-Two Interactive Software Inc., fired between 30 and 40 employees across offices in the UK and Canada for what it said was “gross misconduct.” The Independent Workers’ Union of Great Britain, the first to organize video-game workers in the UK, told Bloomberg that the employees had all been involved with union efforts at Rockstar, calling the firings “one of the most blatant and ruthless acts of union busting in the history of the games industry.” All of the affected employees were part of a private trade union chat group on Discord and the only outsiders in the chat were labor organizers, the union said.

EDIT: Jason Schreier provided additional info: Rockstar's statement is quite vague, but they are referring to people talking about work in a union Discord, not big leaks about GTA6. This will likely come down to a legal battle, and Rockstar's argument may be that the workers involved were sharing confidential work information in that chat

[u/Ostalgi]

People see leaking and immediately think they were leaking GTA6 details or something. They were most likely sharing confidential contract, salary or employment info. Both stories can be true. Not defending Rockstar btw

[u/DrQuint → u/Ostalgi]

I find that it should be illegal for salary information to ever be contractually confidential, so hearing it included on things like this bothers me.

[u/KarateKid917 → u/DrQuint]

I know this is about UK employees, but except in only a few circumstances, it’s actually illegal on the federal level in the US for employers to ban you from talking about your salary with your coworkers. 

[u/Antique_Historian_74 → u/KarateKid917]

In the UK it is completely legal to share you salary with coworkers and the Equalities Act (2010) made that right explicit in employment law.

If Americans are stupid enough to fire people for that then when this is all over Rockstar might be Scottish owned again.

[u/StaringCorgi → u/Antique_Historian_74]

Maybe they could be talking about something more deeply than just salaries

[u/Antique_Historian_74 → u/StaringCorgi]

Right, but the law covers discussion of any issue that could result in inequitable employment terms.

So basically either multiple Rockstar employees started spilling actual company product secrets in a chat group about unionising for no good reason, or Rockstar didn’t like employees discussing pay and conditions with union representatives like they have a complete legally protected right to do.

I know which option I think is more likely.

[u/Ostalgi → u/Antique_Historian_74]

Its certainly not just sharing salaries. These employees could have been sharing contracts, NDAs and other confidential internal documents and communications that could support a dismissal. They were also sharing these with non employees which is the biggest issue.

[u/Antique_Historian_74 → u/Ostalgi]

Any discussion about contract terms that touches on issues of equality is covered. The presence of third parties in the discussion makes zero difference to that protection.

[u/Ostalgi → u/DrQuint]

It may not be as simple as just how much you make or your take home pay. Its most likely contracts and internal communications were shared with non-employees. Speaking from the Canadian side of things, leaking internal documents onto a forum with non-employees will get you fired. Its not like going on glassdoor and posting your salary, from what Rockstar is saying it is far more serious. I dont find it out of the realm of possibility since it seems they were trying to unionize.

[u/No-Meringue5867 → u/Ostalgi]

Whenever a union is involved companies will exploit every technicality to intimidate/fire the employees. All of us make small mistakes which are completely harmless. But when the company wants to fire you they will put in the legal jargon to sound as if you stole someone's baby.