Ubisoft Barcelona initiated strikes yesterday, which are set to last until July 17, running on Tuesday and Thursday afternoons, over the proposed layoffs that could affect 51 workers at the studio.

The news comes from a bulletin sent to local media such as Hobby Consolas, penned by Spanish union Confederación General del Trabajo, which is organizing the strikes. (The original source is in Spanish, but Insider Gaming has published the info in English.)

The layoffs were proposed by Ubisoft earlier in the month as it shuttered its Winnipeg and Belgrade subsidiaries. A source familiar with the situation told Game Developer the company was taking action to reduce costs and focus on new strategic priorities. At the time, the layoffs were pending consultation.

Unlike Winnipeg and Belgrade, Ubisoft Barcelona is expected to remain open but will be restructured to focus solely on the Rainbow Six franchise.

Related:Own goal specialist Xbox rifles another into the roof of the net - Patch Notes #60

Starting yesterday, June 30, staff at the Barcelona branch is beginning its series of strikes, demanding continuity through a binding negotiation for a new studio mandate that ensures the 51 staff are retained.

The workers are also demanding a firm commitment to shield the workforce against future collective dismissal processes for a minimum of five years, strict and immediate compliance with agreed-upon internal promotions (which were "unilaterally paralyzed by the company"), and the unblocking and formal review of the salary improvement plan, as well as the workforce's social benefits package.

The staff is also demanding an unconditional return to the remote work model with 60 percent monthly working from home to ensure effective work-life balance. This is in reference of a widespread return-to-office mandate instated in the restructuring program announced early in the year, making it so all teams are required to work on-site five days a week.

The initiative, poised as a cost-reduction decision, was announced shortly after the company secured a $1.25 billion investment from Tencent, which acquired a stake in Vantage Studios, one of Ubisoft's new creative houses. Then, a number of French unions that include Ubisoft workers responded to the news by staging an international strike in February.

Since then, Ubisoft Toronto laid off 40 employees, Ubisoft subsidiary Red Storm ended game development and laid off 105 workers, and 93 roles in the San Francisco branch have been on the chopping block. The company also reported its net bookings were down 54 percent year-on-year in May.

Related:'We mean business:' Xbox union workers fighting back with 'Save Our Devs' rally on July 15

About the Author

Diego Argüello

Contributing Editor, News, GameDeveloper.com

Diego Nicolás Argüello is a freelance journalist and critic from Argentina. Video games helped him to learn English, so now he covers them for places like The New York Times, NPR, Rolling Stone, and more. He also runs Into the Spine, a site dedicated to fostering and supporting new writers, and co-hosted Turnabout Breakdown, a podcast about the Ace Attorney series. He’s most likely playing a rhythm game as you read this.