After a year 2024 marked by financial difficulties and several strikes, the French video game giant Ubisoft is launching a day of social consultation this Wednesday. The objective: to establish a social plan for 2025 and to try to re-establish a calm climate between management, unions and employees.
The day will take place with meetings in the various French studios, notably in Paris, Montpellier and Annecy. Union delegates will be received at the head office in the Paris region. However, Chakib Mataoui, Solidaires informatique delegate, criticized an invitation that he considers "too vague", while hoping for progress on sensitive subjects such as salaries and teleworking.
A tense social climate since 2024
The 2024 social movements, organized in February and October, mobilized up to a quarter of Ubisoft's 4 French employees. The demands mainly focused on a salary increase and the continuation of teleworking, widely adopted during the health crisis. A requirement to be present three days a week is particularly worrying for unions, with some suggesting a possible wave of mass departures.
The Video Game Workers Union (STJV) is also planning a national strike in the sector on February 13, an unprecedented initiative to denounce working conditions and job cuts.
Financial strategy and uncertainties
Against a backdrop of rumors of a takeover, notably by the Chinese group Tencent, and a stock market exit, Ubisoft announced in January that it was considering strategic options for its future. In December, the elimination of 277 jobs and the closure of three studios, notably in San Francisco and Osaka, marked a new turning point in the cost-cutting plan launched two years ago.
The social consultation planned for this Wednesday is nevertheless intended to be disconnected from immediate financial issues, with management stating that it wants to focus on the modalities of social dialogue. But mistrust remains palpable on the part of the unions, who are calling for real consideration of employees' expectations to avoid further deterioration of the internal climate.
