A dismissed employee of the Grand Theft Auto developer has alleged that Rockstar North monitored a small group of staff members who were union supporters following their submission of a petition regarding remote work arrangements.
Dayne Oram presented evidence at an employment tribunal in Glasgow, stating that the company maintained surveillance of union-affiliated workers after approximately 150 employees signed the petition in spring 2023. Oram was among several workers terminated by the gaming company in October 2025, with the dismissed staff claiming their dismissals were retaliation for unionisation efforts. The tribunal hearing, which opened on 10 September 2026, involves 23 claimants from a larger cohort of roughly 34 dismissed workers across the UK and Canada, according to reporting from the opening day.
Rockstar has contested these allegations, asserting that the terminated employees were dismissed for "gross misconduct" stemming from the disclosure of confidential information on an online forum. The company denies any connection between union activity and the dismissals.
Oram, represented by the Independent Workers' Union of Great Britain (IWGB), testified on the tribunal's opening day. He stated that although the petition bore approximately 150 signatures, between 15 and 20 signatories were union members. Legal representatives for Rockstar argued that the signatures themselves contained no identifying markers of union membership, but Oram contended it could be "inferred" which employees were union supporters based on who physically delivered the petition.
How did the company respond to the timeline?
Thomas Cordery, Rockstar's counsel, questioned how a connection could exist between the company obtaining the petition signatures in February 2023 and the dismissals occurring in October 2025, given the two-year-eight-month interval between the events. Oram acknowledged that the petition was "not the sole reason" for the dismissals but maintained that the terminations were linked to subsequent union organising activities. He characterised the petition as forming
"the basis of a watch list" for people carrying out "activities that were considered distasteful".
What role did the Discord server play?
The tribunal heard that Oram participated in establishing a Discord server functioning as a discussion platform where approximately 300 Rockstar employees could exchange views about workplace matters. Cordery presented the forum's guidelines, which stipulated that members maintain "professional and constructive" conduct. However, he asserted that these standards were "routinely broken" by participants.
Oram characterised the professionalism requirement as
"more of a guiding principle"rather than a strict rule. He acknowledged that one post containing derogatory language directed at a specific manager had been removed due to concerns about targeting an individual. When questioned whether another post describing someone in highly offensive terms constituted gross misconduct, Oram classified it as "misconduct" but disputed that it crossed the threshold into gross misconduct. He reflected that
"If I had to remake some of the moderation decisions, probably I would make them differently now."
What legal claims are being pursued?
The union's case has expanded to encompass "blacklisting" allegations against Rockstar. According to union sources, a tribunal ruling issued in June 2026 permitted the IWGB to pursue blacklisting claims during the full hearing. The dispute originates from allegations that Rockstar terminated staff following discussions of company matters in the private Discord channel, with the union asserting that the firings were motivated by trade union activity rather than the stated grounds of misconduct.
An earlier preliminary tribunal decision on 12 January 2026 rejected an application for interim relief filed by the dismissed workers, according to reporting at the time. That decision meant the workers could not be reinstated pending the outcome of the full hearing.
What happens next?
The Glasgow employment tribunal, presided over by judge Lucy Wiseman, is scheduled to continue proceedings through 15 October 2026. The hearing will determine whether Rockstar unlawfully dismissed the workers for engaging in trade union activity. Further evidence from both the claimants and the company, along with additional legal arguments, is expected as the tribunal progresses through the scheduled hearing dates.
