Numerous scandals, waves of collective layoffs, and the ubiquitous (i.e. forced overtime) are a real scourge of the gaming industry. This, in turn, causes more and more employees in this sector to join trade union activities. Over recent years, trade unions have been established, among others: in companies such as Activision Blizzard, Zenimax, Sega of America and Raven Software.
It was a matter of time before this trend also reached Poland. Especially since Polish game developers also have shameful stories of poor treatment of employees. We can mention here the CD Projekt RED studio and the ubiquitous crunch during work on “The Witcher 3” or “Cyberpunk 2077”.
The Union of Polish Gamdev Employees was established
It is therefore not surprising that it was the employees of this Warsaw studio who laid the foundations for the creation of the Polish Gamedev Employees Union. As its founders emphasize, it operates within the National Trade Union Inicjatywa Pracownicza.
In the West, trade unions also covering the creative, IT and gamedev industries are standard. Our video game industry has its problems, such as over-exploitation of employee enthusiasm leading to burnout, long working hours, and the prevalence of junk contracts. These are systemic problems that cannot be solved individually. However, the industry trade union provides the tools for this.
– emphasize the founders of the union in the published manifesto.
As they explain, the “spark” for establishing the union was the job reduction announced by CD Projekt, which is to cover as much as 9%. company employees (approximately – 100 people). The decision to layoffs was announced in July this year. what role they play in implementing the company’s strategy.
The trade union was established in response to this wave of layoffs. The presence of a union provides better protection, greater transparency of procedures and stronger employee representation. We believe that mass layoffs are a threat to the industry and that unionization is the way to counter them.
– explain the initiators of the Polish Gamedev Employees Union. While the first union in the Polish game development industry is closely related to CD Projekt, employees of other studios can also become its members.
By joining the association, you will become part of an industry support network, you will gain access to a platform for exchanging experiences and know-how, and you will be able to receive support in the event of a conflict with your employer. If you gather several people willing to operate within your company, you will gain full formal protection and representation.
– encourage the founders. They also emphasize that no one will find out about a person’s membership in a union unless he or she announces it publicly. “Other members will see you on our discord server, but no outsiders will know of your union membership.”
To join the union, complete it and deliver it in person to the CD Projekt office in Warsaw or send it to kontakt@gamedevunion.pl.
Earthquake at CD Projekt. The long-time president resigns from his position.
Last week, Adam Kiciński announced that he would resign from the position of president of the CD Projekt group. He emphasized that his decision was well-thought-out, and CD Projekt would be handed over to “fully verified and trusted hands”.
I am convinced that the company is stronger today than ever, has great potential and a great strategy. She is also perfectly prepared for this change. The transformation that CD Projekt has undergone in recent years, the successes of ‘Cyberpunk 2077: The Phantom of Freedom’ and the basic game version 2.0, allow me to confidently plan my next professional step and hand over the reins to new, but fully proven and trusted hands.
– Kiciński wrote in a letter to shareholders. As he recalls, he has come a long way at CD Projekt, working in various positions almost since the studio was founded 29 years ago. When he started, the company had only five employees (now there are over a thousand).
Source: Gazeta
Mabel is a talented author and journalist with a passion for all things technology. As an experienced writer for the 247 News Agency, she has established a reputation for her in-depth reporting and expert analysis on the latest developments in the tech industry.
