Former Rockstar Games employees who were dismissed last autumn can now pursue claims of blacklisting against the Grand Theft Auto 6 developer, according to a preliminary ruling by a UK employment tribunal. The firings occurred last year, with Rockstar citing the leaking of "confidential information" via a public forum as the reason for termination.
The IWGB Game Workers Union, which represents the dismissed staff, has accused Rockstar of union busting in relation to the incident. The recent tribunal decision permits the fired developers to include blacklisting allegations in the ongoing legal dispute.
Blacklisting, in an employment law context, refers to the systematic compilation and use of information by employers to discriminate against individuals based on their trade union membership or activities. The IWGB union will therefore be able to present these allegations against Rockstar during the full trial.
One of the former Rockstar workers, Ellie Dunstan, stated that the case will now be heard in full and put to the test, allowing evidence of the events last October to be presented. Spring McParlin-Jones, chair of the IWGB branch, added that the tribunal refused to dismiss the claims, finding that significant factual questions remain regarding how the workers were identified, listed, and dismissed. McParlin-Jones asserted that Rockstar has attempted to evade accountability throughout the legal proceedings by denying workers a fair hearing and failing to engage with evidence requests.
Earlier this year, the dismissed staff were denied interim relief, which would have reinstated them to Rockstar's payroll and restored any canceled work visas while the legal case proceeded. The final trial for these legal wranglings is scheduled to take place between September 10th and October 15th.