CD Projekt staff form union for Polish developers

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A new union for game developers has formed in Poland following three rounds of layoffs at Cyberpunk 2077 studio CD Projekt Red over the summer.

Związek Pracowników Branży Gier, or Polish Gamedev Workers Union, aims to represent "all professions and people working in the game development sector in Poland."

The organisation was founded by gameplay programmer Lev Ki and gameplay QA analyst Paweł Myszka, both of whom are still employed at CD Projekt Red.

On its website, the union said it will not only cover workers in development, but also marketing, publishing and operations, as well as anyone employed by a Polish games developer.

Membership is open to full-time employees, contractors and more, so long as they are employed with a a Polish contract. For example, any other CDP staff who want to join must be employed by CD Projekt S.A. with a Polish contract.

Unfortunately, this means the union is not open to staff at CD Projekt's Vancouver office or any other branch of the company.

The group said its mission is to "ensure job security, fair treatment, and transparency within our employer organisations," later adding: "Our goal is not to start a fight but to have a dialogue."

According to the union's FAQ, discussions about unionising began after CD Projekt announced in July it would lay off 9% of its staff, approximately 100 people, by March 2024.

This in itself followed the dismissal of 29 staff at The Molasses Flood and the remaining 30 members of the Gwent development team.

"This event created a tremendous amount of stress and insecurity, affecting our mental health and leading to the creation of this union in response," the union wrote. "Having a union means having more security, transparency, better protection, and a stronger voice in times of crisis."

The group added: "We believe that the mass layoffs are a danger to the gamedev industry and we believe that unionising is a way for us to preserve the industry's potential."

The Polish Gamedev Workers Union is part of a larger trade union OZZ Inicjatywa Pracownicza, or Polish Trade Union Workers Initiative.

News of its formation emerges around the same time as reports that developers at Just Cause creator Avalanche Studios are also unionising.

In an interview with CD-Action, spotted by Eurogamer, the movement's founders Ki and Myszka said they "haven't had any response" from CDPR's management, but all necessary legal documentation has been submitted so the executive team will be aware of the union.

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