Rockstar is once again under the microscope for firing 31 workers in UK and Canada offices this fall, an act parent company Take-Two claims was made necessary by "gross misconduct" – but the Independent Workers' Union of Great Britain (IWGB) alleges was really a flagrant example of union busting. Now, following several protests in front of Rockstar offices, the issue of firings has finally floated up to UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer, who says he'll "look into" it.
Labour Party Member of Parliament (MP) Chris Murray brought up the Rockstar firings to Starmer on December 10, feeling concerned about his constituents: "Having met Rockstar, they failed to reassure me they are following employment law, and I share concerns about union busting."
"Does the PM agree all companies regardless of profit size must follow UK employment law and all workers have the right to join a union?" Murray asks. The Prime Minister responds, "It's a deeply concerning case. Every worker has the right to join a trade union and we're determined to strengthen workers rights and ensure they don't face unfair consequences for being part of a union. Our ministers will look into the particular case the member raises and will keep him updated."
ROCKSTAR UPDATE: Keir Starmer was just asked about the Rockstar firings in Parliament today where he described the situation as "deeply concerning" and promised it would be looked into by government ministers. Not that a Starmer promise is worth much, mind.
— @chrisbratt.bsky.social (@chrisbratt.bsky.social.bsky.social) 2025-12-10T15:45:10.716Z
In a statement to the IWGB, Murray reiterates that his personal meeting with Rockstar "only entrenched my concerns about the process Rockstar used to dismiss so many of their staff members. I was not assured their process paid robust attention to UK employment law, I was not convinced that this course of action was necessary, and alarmingly, I did not leave informed on exactly what these 31 people had done to warrant their immediate dismissal."
For its part, the IWGB told GamesRadar+ in November that, "If Rockstar wants to put things right it can reinstate the staff it fired, recognize the IWGB Union, and start listening to the workers that make it its billions."
"The games industry is plagued by job insecurity," the organization said. "The only way to fight it is for workers to come together and use their collective power to push back."
