Rockstar HR chief denies union-monitoring allegations at employment tribunal
Rockstar’s global HR chief Robert Spampinato has denied allegations that he asked colleagues to monitor union membership, according to a Press Association account of the October 14 employment tribunal hearing. The evidence adds detail to the dispute over staff dismissed in 2025. It is testimony in an ongoing case, not a finding that either side’s account has been proved.
SOURCE IMAGEThe dismissals at the centre of the case
Press Association’s Nick Forbes reports that 34 people were dismissed across the UK and Canada in October 2025, and that 23 are taking part in the employment tribunal. The claimants, represented by the Independent Workers’ Union of Great Britain, allege they were dismissed for union activity. Rockstar disputes that and says confidential company information was shared on a Discord server. Those are competing explanations for the dismissals, not interchangeable descriptions of an established legal finding.
What the lawyers challenged
At the hearing, the claimants’ lawyer Richard O’Keefe questioned Spampinato about information passed to HR staff by an employee identified as AB. That included screenshots of a union meeting. O’Keefe challenged whether the collection of information was intended to track membership and undermine organising. According to PA, Spampinato denied that purpose and denied asking colleagues to keep tabs on the union. The allegations and denials should be read together; quoting only one side would misrepresent the contested nature of the evidence.
Why October 2025 became a focus
The questioning also addressed why dismissals occurred in October 2025 when some Discord material had reached the company earlier. Spampinato described Rockstar as being in “crisis mode” at that time, citing development running late and work on communicating a delay. He also said the company did not learn who everyone on the server was until October 2025. These are his explanations to the tribunal. They do not establish, on their own, whether the investigation or dismissals complied with employment law.
This does not announce another GTA 6 postponement
The timing in the testimony is essential. Spampinato was discussing circumstances a year earlier, not saying on October 14, 2026 that a fresh delay had been decided. A headline connecting the phrase “crisis mode” directly to the current launch without that date would create a misleading impression. This hearing concerns the employment dispute and the decision-making around the dismissals, rather than a new release-date announcement.
No verdict in this account
PA says the tribunal continues before judge Lucy Wiseman. The report does not contain a final ruling on unfair dismissal, union activity or the legality of the information gathering. Our coverage therefore confirms the reported hearing and its attributed testimony, not the allegations themselves. This case is also separate from criminal proceedings associated with the 2022 Rockstar hack. The lead photograph shows Rockstar North’s offices; it is not an image from inside the hearing.
How to read this
This item is based on a direct publication by the cited primary source.
