The French union STJV called a three-day strike for workers at Ubisoft studios in France in October.
The union wants employees to lay down their tools on October 15, 16 and 17 to protest against Ubisoft's recently announced return-to-office policywhich will require all staff to work in the office three days a week.
STJV claims that the policy is being implemented “without any concrete justification or consultation with workers' representatives”.
“After more than five years of working efficiently in the current remote working environment, many of our colleagues have built or rebuilt their lives (family life, housing, parenting, etc.) and simply cannot return to their previous working conditions,” read a STJV statement.
“Our employer knows this perfectly well. The consequence of his decision will be the loss of jobs for our colleagues, the disorganization of many game projects and the drastic increase in psychosocial risks for those who remain.”
The union also claims that Ubisoft has failed to negotiate fair profit-sharing agreements with employees and suggests that management has refused to listen to staff concerns. “Management has been deaf to the proposals of various employee representatives,” the statement added.
STJV Slams Ubisoft's Salary Structure, Management Practices, and 'Arbitrary' Remote Work Policy
Ubisoft has several studios in France, located in Annecy, Bordeaux, Lyon, Montpellier and Paris.
STJV wants the company to meet three key demands, including a formal remote work agreement that allows employees to freely choose when to work in the office.
The union is also demanding an immediate pay increase and has implored Ubisoft to address the gender pay gap and restore profit-sharing agreements. It also wants management to engage in constructive “social dialogue” with workers. “Management really seems to be confusing monologue with dialogue,” STJV adds.
French workers have the constitutional right to strike, regardless of whether they are members of a union or not.
“Employees can go on strike at any time, without notice. All you have to do is not come to work on the day(s) of the strike,” explains STJV in a FAQ“The only requirement is that your employer is aware of the strike calls before you stop working: when you join a national strike call by representative unions, this is already foreseen.
“For a strike to be legal, at least two paid workers must take part. The only exceptions are if the employee is the only employee in the company or if he or she is responding to a national call to strike (as many STJVs are).”
If the strike goes ahead, it would be the second time that Ubisoft workers in France have joined the picket line in 2024. Earlier this year, hundreds of employees went on strike to protest the “terrible” increases offered by Ubisoft.
The game developer has reached out to Ubisoft for comment.