Teleworking but also “simulacrum of social dialogue” or even too low salary, Ubisoft Montpellier, based in Castelnau-le-Lez, is following the strike movement planned for three days.
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A strike picket at Ubisoft is not common. Here, in the Mermoz activity zone, in Castelnau-le-Lez, there are no red flags and the average age is still younger than elsewhere. However, at the French video game giant, born in Brittany, the weather is not looking good. Starting with the employees.
“Some have built their lives around” the three days of teleworking
“There are many points of disagreement but the last straw was the announcement to reconsider the number of days of teleworking, from three days to two days, what’s more without consultation, underlines Clément Montigny, STJV union delegate (video game workers union). This causes a lot of incomprehension, even anxiety. Some have built their lives around it and even settled in the Gard. We already have low wages. We have calculated that bringing an employee back one day face-to-face could cause them to lose up to two years of salary increases.”
“A “world” announcement first”… then the negotiation
A significant disagreement therefore on teleworking. But not only that. “The heart of the strike is the simulacrum of social dialogueadds the unionist. There is no consultation. The CSE and the unions are considered registration chambers. For the announcement concerning the reduction in teleworking for example, there was a “world” announcement first and the negotiation took place three days later when they realized that negotiations were necessary. They do everything backwards. We are not asking for 100% distancing either, but if those who work in video games cannot do distancing who can do it?”
Among the lowest salaries in the group
Another obvious sticking point: salaries. Especially in Montpellier. On this subject, employees seem almost fatalistic. “Here, we are among the lowest paid in the group. Two or three years ago, we spoke to HR about it. We were told: Montpellier is not a premium city. When we do the same job as in Annecy or Grenoble, it’s a sentence that we have difficulty hearing, especially since our jobs are qualified. When you’re hired for €26,000 a year for testing, it’s not just playing video games, it’s quality control. This is not playing the game. The artists, the designers, the screenwriters are also poorly paid…”
Since Tuesday, Ubisoft has been on strike. The movement is planned to last three days. This is only the third strike (the second took place on February 14) when Ubisoft is 38 years old, and Ubisoft Montpellier was 30 this summer. “Stop saying we are a young company”concludes Clément Montigny, who this time hopes to be heard.
Ubisoft confirms and signs: three days of face-to-face per week
From the side of Ubisoft management, it is impossible to ask questions, but the national, national response is ready.
“After carefully reviewing our business needs and feedback from our teams, we have decided not to return to a 100% face-to-face model but are considering changing our approach so that teams are in the office at least three days a week. Those who need it will have time to adapt to this change and our local team leaders will determine when exceptions are warranted. The goal of this planned evolution is to improve collaboration, cohesion and cooperation. innovation within our teams, while preserving their flexibility, well-being and work-life balance. We are convinced that this balance will optimize both collective performance and individual satisfaction. as in France, the evolution of our hybrid work model is subject to discussions with staff representatives, which are currently underway.“
