Amid reports of massive layoffs in the Xbox gaming division, unions have criticized Microsoft for a lack of transparency and delaying negotiations with employees. Representatives of the Communications Workers of America (CWA) stated that the company is keeping workers in the dark about upcoming cuts and ignoring proposals for staff protection.
The day before, the CWA held a press conference where employees of studios within Microsoft's gaming division promised to fight against a new wave of layoffs. As Kotaku notes, citing event participants, negotiations between Microsoft and the unions have again reached an impasse, and developers are in a state of "exhausting uncertainty."
According to Blizzard Senior Editor Alison Veneto, Xbox management is repeating past mistakes, calling what is happening a "reboot" of the business, although a similar strategy has already proven ineffective.
We have already rehired many people who were laid off during previous cuts. So what was the point? The company pays severance, and then rehires the same employees for the same positions.
She also emphasized that there are many open vacancies within Xbox in other studios, but employees affected by layoffs are rarely transferred to these positions. According to the union, one of the key protection mechanisms should be to provide workers with the opportunity to find a new role within Microsoft before final termination.
Another complaint was the company's lack of transparency. CWA representatives recalled that during last year's layoffs at ZeniMax, the union was warned only about an hour before the public announcement. Moreover, when union representatives tried to obtain information about a new wave of layoffs during negotiations, Microsoft's lawyers stated that they "knew nothing," and the HR representatives and studio management present refused to provide additional comments.
According to sources, Microsoft also recently rejected CWA's proposal for additional guarantees for employees in the event of layoffs. Despite ongoing reports of impending cuts, the company, according to union representatives, continues to withhold details from organizations negotiating on behalf of workers.