In early 2024, a significant company benefit was rescinded at Activision Blizzard's Stockholm office, prompting a swift and unexpected unionization effort. This action, undertaken by Microsoft, the new owner, inadvertently ignited a wave of employee activism.
IGN has learned that over a hundred employees at King, a mobile game developer based in Stockholm, formed a union club with Unionen, Sweden's largest trade union, in the fall of 2024. This group has since been officially recognized and is currently negotiating with management to establish a Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA). This agreement will define their working conditions, policies, and benefits.
Swedish unions differ significantly from their U.S. counterparts. Swedish workers can join a union regardless of their company's unionization status. This contributes to Sweden's high union membership rate (approximately 70%, according to Unionen data) and its pro-union legal framework. Unions negotiate industry-wide standards, but forming a company-specific union club, as at King Stockholm, allows for negotiating additional benefits via a CBA. This CBA provides workplace-specific protections and gives union representatives a voice in company decisions – a trend also observed at Paradox Interactive and Avalanche Studios.
The Catalyst: Loss of a Key Benefit
Kajsa Sima Falck, an engineering manager at King and a board member of the King Stockholm Unionen chapter, explained that pre-2024, union activity was minimal. However, the removal of a highly valued employee benefit – a private doctor for employees and their families – dramatically changed the situation. This benefit, introduced during the COVID-19 pandemic, was immensely popular due to the doctor's accessibility and empathetic approach.
The abrupt cancellation of this benefit, with only a week's notice, caused widespread discontent. While employees were offered private health insurance, it lacked the personal touch of the previous arrangement. This sparked widespread discussion, highlighting the lack of employee bargaining power without a CBA.
The subsequent surge in union interest led to the formation of the King Stockholm union club in October 2024. While Microsoft has publicly committed to a neutral stance on unionization, the company has not yet responded to IGN's request for comment.
Securing Employee Rights and Influence
The newly formed union aims to secure a CBA to protect existing benefits and address issues such as salary transparency, protection against reorganizations and layoffs, and improved communication. The union also emphasizes the importance of employee input in company decisions. Timo Rybak, a Unionen Stockholm organizer, highlights the value of employee knowledge in shaping workplace policies. He also notes the union's role in educating employees, particularly immigrant workers, about their rights.
For Falck and her colleagues, the union's formation, while initially a response to a negative change, is ultimately about preserving the positive aspects of their workplace culture and benefits. The unionization effort represents a shift towards greater employee influence and protection within the company.
