Workers Union Wants EU To Approve Microsoft & Activision Blizzard Merger

Two major unions have urged the European Commission (EC) to approve the proposed Microsoft Activision merger.

Communication Workers of America (CWA) penned a letter to the EC arguing that the deal will have a positive impact on the labor market. CWA initially voiced concerns about the power Microsoft will have on the labor market but later managed to negotiate a collective bargaining agreement with the company should the acquisition go ahead.

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Separately, Europe-based UNI Global Union urged EC to look beyond the impact the deal will have on consumers and consider employees as well. UNI claims that Microsoft will have a positive impact on a labor market rife with poor working conditions.

As workers in the games industry increasingly seek to form unions, the CWA is encouraging Vestager to recognize the importance of collective bargaining and the potential for the merger to benefit workers.

The union considers the merger between Microsoft and Activision Blizzard to have the potential to benefit the games industry labor market by giving workers more bargaining power and consequently reducing employer influence. As part of this effort, Microsoft has agreed to a binding labor neutrality agreement with the CWA which guarantees abstention from unionization efforts, providing workers with a clear pathway to representation.