A strike has been taking place at Ubisoft’s Annecy and Montpellier studios since this morning where workers moved to the picket line at 9 am (8 am GMT), meanwhile, the Paris studio is set to walk out at 2 pm.
French game workers union Syndicat des Travailleurs et Travailleuses du Jeu Vidéo (STJV) has organized the protest according to Gamesindustry.biz following the failure of annual salary negotiations at Ubisift.
The Union’s statement reads, “Despite the union’s efforts to find an acceptable compromise, negotiations hit a wall. In order to hit arbitrary cost reduction targets, management offered a budget dedicated to raises that would be lower than inflation for the second year in a row.”
📢 Grève à Ubisoft ce mercredi : des piquets de grève seront organisés aux studios d’Annecy, Montpellier et Paris
🏔️Annecy : à partir de 9h à côté de la tour Galbert
☀️Montpellier : à partir de 9h devant le studio
🗼Paris : à partir de 14h au pied du studio rue de Lagny https://t.co/w9Ggr7ZO9L— Syndicat des Travailleurs·ses du Jeu Vidéo (@stjv_fr) February 12, 2024
One Ubisoft Paris worker told Gamekult, “The strategy chosen by management aims at saving €200 million over the next two years among production costs. We are contesting this strategy.
“When you’re a game development studio, the right way to make money is to make video games in the best possible conditions so they can be of the right quality. It’s not by skimping on the workers who build them, or by saving on the tools they use, that you’re going to make money in a capitalist context. Workers want to be proud of what they ship. And overall it’s not by struggling to pay your rent or by working in poor conditions that you can work properly.”
Ubisoft has recently come under fire for changing the full price for its forthcoming Skull & Bones title as well as for comments that people need to get used to the idea that they don’t actually own the games that they purchase.
The strike action will last throughout Wednesday and it is unclear if further disruption is planned.
Featured Image: Ubisoft Annecy
