French staff at Assassin’s Creed publisher Ubisoft have been urged to strike for three days next month, after being told they should return to the office three days a week.
The call to walk out, first reported by GamesIndustry.biz, comes a week after Ubisoft announced that all of its 19,000 employees worldwide would be required to work from the office three days out of every five – albeit with some flexibility for certain individuals, and without a firm start date for the change.
Members of the French video game workers union STJV (Syndicat des Travailleurs et Travailleuses du Jeu Vidéo) have now called on Ubisoft staff to strike on 15th to 17th October.
The move back to the office three days a week is one “without any tangible justification or any consultation with the workers’ representatives,” the STJV said.
“After more than five years of working efficiently in the current remote-work context, many of our colleagues have built or rebuilt their lives (family life, housing, parenthood, etc.) and simply cannot return to the previous working conditions,” it continued.
“Our employer knows this perfectly well. The consequence of its decision will be the loss of our colleagues’ jobs, the disorganisation of many game projects, and the drastic increase in psychosocial risks for those who remain.”
Ubisoft declined to comment when contacted by Eurogamer.
It remains to be seen how many Ubisoft staff will walk out next month, but more than 700 employees took part in a day of strike action organised by the STJV back in February this year, after annual salary negotiations collapsed.
The call to strike lands further pressure on Ubisoft after a bruising 24 hours. Yesterday, the embattled publisher admitted Star Wars Outlaws had underperformed, Assassin’s Creed Shadows would be delayed, and it would now be carrying out a comprehensive review of projects as a result.