How to Beat the Boss: Game Workers Unite in the UK

Woodcock, Jamie (2020). How to Beat the Boss: Game Workers Unite in the UK. Capital and Class, 44(4) pp. 523–529.

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1177/0309816820906349

Abstract

This article provides an overview of the growth of game worker organising in Britain. These workers have not previously been organised in a trade union, but over the last 2 years, they have developed a campaign to unionise their sector and launched a legal trade union branch. This is a powerful example of so-called ‘greenfield’ organising, beyond the reach of existing trade unions and with workers who have not previously been members. The article provides an outline of the industry, the launch of the Game Workers Unite international network, the growth of the division in Britain as well as their formation as a branch of the Independent Workers’ Union of Great Britain. The aim is to draw out lessons for both the videogames industry, as well as other non-unionised industries, showing how the traditions of trade unionism can be translated and developed in new contexts.

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