Workers At ‘Cyberpunk 2077,’ ‘The Witcher’ Studio CD Projekt Red Are Unionizing In Poland

Employees at Cyberpunk 2077 and The Witcher developer CD Projekt Red (CDP) are attempting to unionize with the Polish Gamdev Workers Union.

The Gamedev Workers Union is part of the larger OZZ IP (Inicjatywa Pracownicza) trade union which represents thousands of workers in dozens of industries. The Gamedev Workers Union benefits from OZZ IP legal support and experience, but the operates independently from its parent org.

Why do CDP workers want to unionize? The catalyst for the effort came earlier this year when the company laid off around 100 people, or 9% of its workforce. According to the union:

This event created a tremendous amount of stress and insecurity, affecting our mental health and leading to the creation of this union in response. Having a union means having more security, transparency, better protection, and a stronger voice in times of crisis.

How are unions different in Poland? Polish unions are different in several ways, some subtle and some less so. For example, in Poland, each employee chooses whether to join the union and only those who sign up become part of the bargaining unit after ratification. A ratified union negotiates deals for all employees and consults the employer’s board on matters of company policy, but some individual protections, most importantly those related to employee dismissals, only apply to union members.

Also, employees in the same industry who work at different companies can join a union set up at another employer. In this case, the Polish Gamedev Workers Union is a legally established union at CD Projekt Red, but any game dev worker with a Polish contract can join. As membership grows, the union plans to become a multi-workplace commission officially recognized by other studios, allowing it to protect workers at each of those companies.

If workers can opt-out, are members in danger of being targeted by their employers? Membership in the union is mostly anonymous. The employer doesn’t know which employees are part of the union, only how many are involved. When the employer plans to dismiss or demote an employee, it first notifies the union. If said employee is a union member, negotiations are conducted through the union. If the employee is not a member, the union can alert them that their role is under threat, and the employee can join and have the union negotiate on their behalf.

Who is eligible to join the union? According to the organization, anyone with a Polish game development contract working in Poland, or anyone unemployed but who previously worked in or is applying for jobs in game development, qualifies.

What is the union working on now? The group’s main goal right now is to increase membership. According to the group, “A union is as strong as the sum of its members. More people means more input into our processes, more legitimacy, and more democracy.” Logistically, although the CDP union is legally recognized, there are still steps that must be taken before the organization is fully established, such as filling out its governing bodies. According to the union’s FAQ, that process will be complete by mid-December.