A Scottish councillor has escalated the fallout over Rockstar Games’ mass firings by calling for political action and support for dismissed workers amid union-busting allegations the studio denies.
Rockstar Games is under mounting political pressure after the dismissal of more than 30 employees sparked allegations of union-busting.
According to STV News, Scottish Green Party councillor Dan Heap has tabled a motion for next week’s Fair Work Committee meeting, urging the local authority to support the fired workers with welfare and financial guidance and to press the Grand Theft Auto studio directly to reinstate them.
Heap’s motion follows weeks of protests and rising political attention, with the controversy now reaching UK Parliament and even Polish lawmakers.
The row began last month when Rockstar let go of over 30 employees, claiming they had shared confidential information in a public forum.
The Independent Workers’ Union of Great Britain (IWGB) disputes that version of events, arguing the group had been privately discussing workplace conditions while forming the Rockstar Games Workers Union.
The IWGB has since filed a legal claim accusing the studio of “the most ruthless act of union busting in UK games industry history”.
Inside Rockstar North, more than 200 employees have signed a letter condemning the firings and demanding their colleagues be reinstated.
Workers say the dismissed staff were key union organisers, and that Rockstar’s actions were designed to intimidate their employees.
Protests have taken place outside Rockstar North in Edinburgh and publisher Take-Two Interactive’s London and Paris offices.
IWGB organisers also note that Rockstar has benefitted from more than £440 million in UK tax relief, intensifying calls for accountability.
The backlash lands at a sensitive moment for Rockstar, as the studio recently delayed GTA VI from May to November 2026 and faces pressure to maintain momentum without undermining its workforce.
Rockstar denies all allegations, insisting the dismissals were due solely to misconduct.
GTA’s Rockstar Games faces political backlash as councillor calls for action over ‘union-busting’
