A group of former Rockstar Games employees who allege they were dismissed for unionizing have been denied interim pay by a UK employment tribunal. The workers, supported by the Independent Workers’ Union of Great Britain (IWGB), are challenging their termination in court.

The employees sought immediate financial relief while awaiting a full hearing, but after a two-day session, Employment Judge Frances Eccles declined their request. Judge Eccles stated, “In all the circumstances, the tribunal was unable to conclude that it appears likely that the tribunal will find that the principal reason for the claimants’ dismissal was their membership of the IWGB.” The judge also noted that the threshold for granting interim relief is higher than what will be required at the main hearing.

Rockstar maintains that the dismissals were due to the leaking of confidential information on a Discord server accessible to external staff. A Rockstar spokesperson commented, “We regret that we were put in a position where dismissals were necessary, but we stand by our course of action as supported by the outcome of this hearing.”

During the proceedings, Judge Eccles acknowledged arguments from both sides. The judge observed that some employees were dismissed despite minimal activity on the Discord server, which had 350 members, including individuals no longer employed by Rockstar. It was also noted that not all dismissed workers were union members, and there was no evidence that Rockstar suffered negative consequences from the Discord posts. Judge Eccles questioned Rockstar’s process, highlighting that no suspensions or disciplinary hearings took place and that employees were not given a chance to respond to the allegations before being dismissed. The comments used as grounds for dismissal were obtained without the employees’ knowledge, which the claimants described as “covert monitoring.”

Following the decision, the IWGB expressed disappointment but remained optimistic about the outcome of the full hearing. “We have always been clear that Interim Relief is an incredibly high bar to meet as a temporary measure before the substantive tribunal, and it would have been almost unprecedented for a judge to award this to a group of this size,” said an IWGB spokesperson. “That we did not secure an interim relief order means the especially stringent conditions required for this kind of hearing were not met, but does nothing to suggest that Rockstar will not be found guilty of unfair dismissal when the case goes to trial.”

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