Grand Theft Auto developer Rockstar denies keeping tabs on staff union membership, tribunal hears

Grand Theft Auto developer Rockstar denies keeping tabs on staff union membership, tribunal hears 23 former workers claim they were unfairly dismissed for trade union activities - Bookmark - CommentsGo to comments Become an Independent member to bookmark this article Already a member? Log in The global head of human resources at Grand Theft Auto developer Rockstar Games has told a tribunal it is “categorically not true” to suggest he asked staff to keep tabs on union membership at the company. It is understood 34 people were dismissed from Rockstar in October last year across the UK and Canada over what the company described as “the sharing of confidential company information”. 23 of them are currently taking part in an employment tribunal, claiming they were unfairly dismissed for trade union activities. They are being represented by the Independent Workers’ Union of Great Britain (IWGB). Rockstar has said it will vigorously contest the tribunal and accused the former employees of breaching the company’s confidentiality rules by discussing sensitive information on a Discord server. Lawyers for the claimants are expected to allege that workers were unlawfully blacklisted and targeted for their union activities. On Wednesday, the tribunal heard evidence from the company’s vice president for HR, Robert Spampinato. Richard O’Keefe, representing the claimants, put it to him he and and other senior executives had tried to monitor IWGB membership at the company. The lawyer took him to screenshots of an IWGB meeting attended by a number of Rockstar employees, which had been provided to HR executive Charlie Kinloch by an employee referred to only as “AB”. The lawyer said evidence showed Mr Kinloch had “solicited” this information from his source. He asked Mr Spampinato, whom the tribunal heard would have have had sight of the screenshots, whether this would have been a concern. “Was that concerning to you? About the legality of it?” Mr O’Keefe asked. “Was that worrying, that there was this compiling of trade union information going on covertly?” The witness replied: “There was no compiling of information, he passed along one update that included this.” Mr O’Keefe pressed him: “Why didn’t you tell Charlie Kinloch at this point… you need to tell AB to stop sharing with you information about trade union members and their activities – (that) that’s none of our business to be surveilling.” Mr Spampinato said he was not aware the information had been “solicited”. He also said the decision to allow Mr Kinloch to continue the exercise had been taken collectively and in the context of legal counsel. Mr O’Keefe put it to him that the purpose of allowing Mr Kinloch to continue receiving information from AB was in part to “keep abreast of collective grievances to keep ahead of IWGB, to prevent it recruiting any further”. Mr Spampinato agreed they were trying to keep on top of grievances, but denied this was to suppress IWGB membership. The lawyer continued: “Second, the purpose was to use the information to remove members and activists from the company if that proved necessary to suppress IWGB’s efforts”. Turning to the judge, the witness said: “Judge, I would say that’s categorically untrue”. Mr O’Keefe also put it to him that it was he who had asked Mr Kinloch to “keep tabs” on union membership at the company. “That’s categorically not true,” the witness said. Asked for his views on the IWGB union, Mr Spampinato insisted he had not issues with it per se – but that he had confidence in the company’s own ability to deal with issues. “We treat people well and we will deal with people fairly and empathetically, and it was less about the IWGB and more about what our approach to dealing with the team should be,” he explained. “We have a supportive HR team, we have a supportive management team, and that’s our opinion on how we would deal with our employees and the concerns that they raise.” The tribunal heard that a total of 722 posts across 109 Discord threads were cited in the accusations of gross misconduct against the sacked employees. These had been passed to senior HR staff by AB and other unnamed Rockstar employees in 2024 and 2025. Mr Spampinato was asked why it took until October 2025 to dismiss the employees, given some of the threads had been brought to the company’s attention as early as March 2024. He replied that, in October 2025, the company had been in “crisis mode”, and had needed the team to be “fully focused”. “We were in a moment when we knew we were running late on the development of the (Grant Theft Auto VI),” he explained. “We were actually figuring out the timing of announcing a delay of the game and announcing that to the team.” He also told the tribunal it was not until October 2025 that they learned who everyone in the Discord server actually was. “We were not aware there was a journalist, we were not aware of the former employees in the Discord,” he said. A spokesperson for Rockstar Games said: “Rockstar Games’ position has been clear and consistent throughout. “Individuals across the UK and Canada were dismissed for gross misconduct following the sharing of confidential company information, not because of alleged trade union membership or activity. “We reject the claims and will defend them vigorously before the tribunal.” A spokesperson for the IWGB union said: “Rockstar has accused the workers it fired of leaking highly sensitive information about GTA VI. Yet since the mass dismissal of union members last year, people following the case have been asking: where are these leaks? “The comments Rockstar pointed to today did not identify GTA VI, and it was only when Rockstar itself connected them to the game during these legal proceedings that they became in any way public.” The tribunal continues before judge Lucy Wiseman. Join our commenting forum Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies Comments [Image text:] ITUq G gRand ther 7 wag olide AOTTTTTTTP Centre GREAT STAR'S EST BU GAME RKER NISI SHIT EMPLOYER NT Courts & Bals Servi ISTAN GAME OVER YOP UNION BUSTING WHATS DISGUSTIN SGAME SAY SORRy, ORKERS UNION BENiCE! BUSTING HONI IF7OU SUPPORT UNIONS! 404 ROCKSTAR'S RESPECT FOR WORKERS NOT FOUND RuTh ime