Video game developers at ZA/UM Studio, represented by the IWGB (Independent Workers Union of Great Britain) have today announced their formation of a union at their workplace. After a negotiation process, management has agreed to enter a working relationship with the union.
This marks the first recognised workplace union in the UK games industry, providing an exciting milestone for workers industry-wide. The recognition process provides workers and management with a strong framework to engage and negotiate on workplace-related matters. A committee of elected workplace representatives will regularly meet to discuss matters brought forward by the game developers at ZA/UM and management, with the support of union officials.
The news follows widespread layoffs in the games industry, which affected over 900 UK game workers in 2023 and almost 15,000 worldwide workers in 2024. The layoffs shone a light on the precarity facing so many in the industry and made job security one of the union’s central focuses.
Spring McParlin-Jones, Chair of the Game Workers Union, said: “Anyone working in the sector can see that the game has been rigged against us for far too long. Now developers at ZA/UM are proving that by coming together as a union we can take back power and shape our workplaces for the better. We need to build an industry where workers can create exciting, meaningful games without sacrificing their social lives, their mental health, or their financial stability. I hope ZA/UM workers’ achievement inspires others working in the games industry to join us in fighting for a fairer, more sustainable sector.”
Eugenia Peruzzo, Organising Officer of the IWGB Game Workers Union, said: "Our first IWGB ZA/UM recognition agreement is a proof of the power that game workers have when they come together, trust each other and join our Union. Recognition agreements lay the groundwork for a healthy relationship between the company and workers and rebalance the scale of powers after a few terrible years for the game industry and the redundancies we have seen happening at ZA/UM lately. We are looking forward to many more to come in the future. Rest assured that this is not a one off, but this is an avalanche in the making. "
Representatives from ZA/UM spoke with GamesIndustry.biz to discuss the situation more.
It's no secret that the games industry is in an unstable place. We believe that if things are going to improve then the workers must be represented in their company's decision making processes. This is a great step forward towards that goal, but we still have a long way to go. If you work in the UK games industry and feel the same, then join the union and let us work together for a stronger industry.