Comrade Australia? FINALLY, some good industry news!
Was not expecting a progressive move in the gaming industry coming from the country notorious for banning and overly-censoring its fair share of 18+ games, but hey, you win some you lose some.
Game Workers Unite Australia, formerly an advisory and support group, has now announced it will be forming a proper union as of 2021. Game Workers Unite Australia has also partnered up with Professionals Australia (an umbrella union also covering scientists and non-gaming related workers).
Now, the GWUA is now officially part of the international GWU movement, which was endorsed by Bernie Sanders during his election campaign. Considering the rise of issues in the gaming industry becoming progressively more recognized and discussed, Australia’s new union will hopefully be a step in the right direction for giving workers the ability to fight back against workplace abuse. Again, not to put too fine a point, but there’s a reason why a certain “Bobbert Kotique” and other similarly rich CEOs generally aren’t big on the idea of employees having a say in holding company individuals accountable.
Click here and follow the official Game Workers Unite Australia Twitter account if you want to keep up to date with the folks working there.
A couple days ago, Game Workers Unite posted an announcement which covers its GWU Australia policies, how it will work as a sub-division of Professionals Australia and a ‘tiered membership package just for game workers’. There is currently no confirmed timeframe for launch, but plans for official recognition are being arranged.
The announcement also promises the following:
- ‘Access to support, services and solidarity that will help you at your workplace’.
- ‘Take legal action to defend our members against underpayments, discrimination and bullying’ and ‘organise collective agreements at workplaces’.
- ‘Lobby governments and industry on an equal playing field with studio owners and publishers’.
- Continuing to provide the free advisory benefits it has been running up until now, even after becoming officially recognized as a worker’s union.
Game Workers Unite Australia currently provides support to people working in various game industry roles, including game developers, journalists, streamers, game marketing and PR, community managers, and pro players.
Product Poems:
There is no Street Fighter Five in Ba Sing Se. Shirt? What shirt? God, no!
How much clout could a Cloudpunk punk if a Cloudpunk could punk cloud… Try saying that three-times fast!
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