Workers at video game giant Ubisoft began a three-day strike in France on Tuesday over a dispute over working from home and wages, hitting the company already struggling with slumping sales and a tumbling share price.
Titles such as Star Wars Outlaws, Skull and Bones, and a new episode of Prince of Persia failed to impress, prompting the company to postpone the release of the latest installment of the Assassin’s Creed series until next year. This surprised investors.
Ubisoft stock has fallen more than 40% since the beginning of the year, hitting its lowest level in 10 years in September.
This week’s strike was sparked by a message from management in September advocating a three-day return to office work for all employees around the world, with hundreds in France fighting over pay. This follows a strike in February in which they participated.
The union said it received no response to complaints aired in February and that the September message was “the straw that broke the camel’s back”.
Clément Montigny, from the STJV union, told AFP that the move to in-person working breaks promises to staff and “calls into question the way they make their living.”
Ubisoft managers told staff in an email that returning to the office is essential to fostering creativity and promised to give employees time to adjust.
About 50 people are on the picket line in Montpellier, and Ubisoft offices in Annecy, Lyon and Paris are also expected to be affected, according to AFP news agency.
