According to GamesIndustry.biz, Ubisoft intends to cut up to 200 jobs at its Paris headquarters, which is about 18% of its staff. To do this, the company has launched a voluntary redundancy procedure by agreement of the parties, the terms of which will be discussed with trade unions.
We are talking about launching the Rupture Conventionnelle Collective procedure — a collective voluntary termination of employment contracts. At the moment, this is only a proposal: the final decision will be made only after an agreement is reached with employee representatives and its approval by the French authorities. The initiative concerns exclusively employees of the Ubisoft Paris office, registered under French contracts, and does not affect other Ubisoft divisions in France and abroad.
Under French law, RCC involves the voluntary departure of employees by mutual agreement with the employer, with mandatory consultations with trade unions. The Ubisoft statement does not mention forced dismissals, but journalists recall that a similar "voluntary" program at the subsidiary Massive Entertainment last year subsequently led to additional cuts and the closure of Ubisoft Stockholm.
The process is expected to provoke a strong reaction from trade unions. For example, Solidaires Informatique has already called the recent restructuring "absurd", stating that it caused "anger and despair" in the company.