Unions accuse Microsoft of having "unlawfully fired people" in unfair labor practice complaints filed over Xbox layoffs

The Communications Workers of America (CWA) union and their Canadian offshoot CWA Canada have filed unfair labour practice complaints against Microsoft, accusing the company of having mishandled the recent mass layoffs at Xbox.

As reported by Game Developer, the unions' change filed via the US National Labour Relations Board (NRLB) alleges that Microsoft failed to provide information to the CWA and engaged in bad faith bargaining. The company are also accused of engaging in "coercive actions" and modifying employee contracts.

"The unions CWA and CWA Canada have jointly filed unfair labour practice complaints against Microsoft alleging the company has unlawfully fired people without giving notice to or discussing it with the union as the employer is legally obliged to do when we are in the middle of ongoing bargaining a collective agreement," CWA Canada president Carmel Smyth put in a statement to Game Developer. "Basically the employer can not arbitrarily change working conditions while it is engaged in negotiating with the union. We will continue to file legal challenges if necessary, and do all we can to defend the rights of Bethesda Game Studios workers."

In a statement to the same site, an Xbox spokesperson responded that the company "respect [their] employees’ right to make their voices heard, and recognise that this is a difficult time for many". "We reached out to the union to begin effects bargaining and are committed to that process," they continued. "We remain focused on supporting impacted employees through this transition while positioning the organization for long-term strength."

The CWA held rallies outside the offices of Fallout developers Bethesda, Elder Scrolls Online developers ZeniMax, and Doom developers Id Software this week.

Meanwhile, reports digging into the specifics of Microsoft's latest layoffs - which initially affected around 1600 workers - continue to emerge, alongside details of exactly who's been affected and how their departures are impacting the path forwards for the staff who remain to pick up the pieces.