French commerce union Solidaires Informatique has referred to as on Ubisoft Paris employees to strike after the corporate delivered a “worrying” strategic replace.
Final week Ubisoft mentioned it had delayed Cranium and Bones, cancelled three unannounced video games, and deliberate to strengthen its concentrate on its greatest manufacturers and stay companies following weaker than anticipated software program gross sales over the vacation season.
It additionally introduced plans to make some €200 million in price cuts over the subsequent two years “by way of focused restructuring, divesting some non-core belongings and normal pure attrition”.
And in an electronic mail despatched to workers coinciding with the bulletins, Ubisoft CEO Yves Guillemot reportedly advised employees the onus is on them to ship on its newest targets and reverse the corporate’s fortunes.
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In mild of those current occasions, on Tuesday the Ubisoft Paris part of tech-focused union Solidaires Informatique referred to as on employees to stage a half-day strike on Friday January 27 from 2-6pm.
“In response to Guillemot: The Ball is in our court docket (however the cash stays in his pocket),” it wrote.
“In his newest assertion, Mr. Guillemot pronounces a worrying future for Ubisoft.
“If the request to workers to be ‘particularly cautious and strategic along with your spending’ is ironic contemplating the corporate’s editorial technique of the previous few years, it’s not humorous.
“When Mr. Guillemot speaks of ‘attrition’ and ‘organizational changes’, it means: employees reductions, discreet studio closures, wage cuts, disguised layoffs, and many others.
“On a number of events, Mr. Guillemot is making an attempt to shift the blame (as soon as once more) onto the staff; he expects us to be mobilized, to ‘give it our all’, to be ‘as environment friendly and lean as attainable’. These phrases imply one thing: time beyond regulation, managerial strain, burnout, and many others.
“Mr. Guillemot asks loads from his workers, however with none compensation.”
Solidaires Informatique additionally issued a listing of 4 calls for to Ubisoft. It’s looking for a right away 10% enhance for all salaries “to compensate for inflation” and improved working circumstances together with the introduction of a four-day week.
It’s also calling for “transparency on the evolution of the workforce, each regionally and globally”, and “a robust dedication in opposition to disguised dismissals and a condemnation of abusive managerial insurance policies that push workers to resign”.
In its monetary replace final week, Ubisoft mentioned it had delayed Cranium and Bones to its subsequent fiscal yr, which begins in April and runs till March 2024.
Throughout this era Ubisoft can also be planning to launch Murderer’s Creed Mirage, Avatar: Frontiers of Pandora, “and different yet-to-be-announced premium video games, together with a big one, in addition to promising free-to-play titles for a few of our greatest manufacturers”.
In his electronic mail to employees, which was seen by Kotaku, Guillemot mentioned: “The ball is in your court docket to ship this line-up on time and on the anticipated stage of high quality, and present everybody what we’re able to attaining.”
