ALBAWABA - Leading video game developer and publisher, Ubisoft, is dealing with serious internal and external issues as employees in France have gone on strike for three days over disagreements around compensation and regulations about working from home, which has made the company’s already dire situation accompanied by financial turmoil and lackluster game releases even worse.
The latest labor action is a result of a management decision in September that mandated all workers report to office at least three days a week. Unions accused the corporation of breaking its previous promises to provide flexible working conditions, which infuriated employees who had become accustomed to working remotely, AFP reports.
The most recent dispute comes after a similar walkout over salary complaints in February, suggesting that employee discontent is on the rise.
The STJV union leader, Clement Montigny, called the decision a betrayal of trust that seriously disturbs the lives of the workers, with many reportedly reconsidering their future in the studio, especially those who had to move during the outbreak of the pandemic.
Meanwhile, Ubisoft's sales and share price are plummeting. Despite high expectations, Star Wars Outlaws, Skull and Bones, and the recently released Prince of Persia all underperformed, raising investor worries that sent the French publisher’s stock price down 40% to its lowest mark in 10 years.
Adding insult to injury, Ubisoft also postponed the release of the next installment in the Assassin's Creed series, which was expected to be a significant source of income as fans dreaded a Feudal Japan setting for years.
