The Communication Workers of America (CWA) criticized Sony for its decision to do so Shutter Firewall Studios and Neon Koi.
The union said the latest round of layoffs at Sony makes it clear that video game workers must pursue “collective bargaining safety.”
“Collective bargaining not only gives workers a seat at the table to bargain for fair compensation, but also a voice in the workplace to have a say in how workers will be affected by job cuts,” reads one Note.
CWA described the closures of the two PlayStation Studios as “devastating” and said that “highly isolated video game CEOs are creating dangerous working conditions for video game workers by eliminating their job stability.”
The organization suggested that Sony's decision to shut down mobile studio Neon Koi shows that the PlayStation maker is largely interested in furthering its “monopoly position in the video game industry” and said it will share its concerns with regulators and politicians.
“Sony's decision to disband movie studios outside their walled garden of PlayStation-exclusive content, rather than create games that must compete in the highly diverse and competitive mobile gaming market, should be a warning signal to interests of Sony in promoting its monopoly position in the video game industry,” he continued.
“CWA expects to increase the anticompetitive impacts of Sony’s growing monopolistic and monopsony power with antitrust regulators, policymakers and appropriate stakeholders.”
This is not the first time the CWA has targeted a major platform holder. Already in May, the union asked Microsoft for more “respect and compassion” following a huge round of layoffs and studio closures. When the Xbox maker then proceeded to cut even more jobs, the The CWA has once again expressed its disappointment.
The CWA was a strong supporter of Microsoft's colossal merger with Activision Blizzard. Although it initially protested the move, the union eventually threw his weight behind the deal After signing a labor neutrality agreement with Microsoft and Activision Blizzard to allow workers to unionize freely.
The deal was hailed as a big win for CWA, but the Activision Blizzard merger has now resulted in thousands of layoffs as Microsoft works to implement a “sustainable cost structure” after spending $68.7 billion to buy the producer of Call of Duty.