King has signed a collective agreement with the Swedish trade unions Unionen and Sveriges Ingenjörer after last week’s call to industrial action.
Unionen members sought an agreement that ensured job security and “greater influence over workplace terms and conditions.”
Unionen stated that the agreement, reached after over a year of negotiations, is “an important step towards creating secure and predictable long term conditions for employees.”
“This is a major victory for Unionen members at King,” said Unionen head of negotiations Martin Wästfelt.
“For a long time, they have stood firm in their demand for a collective bargaining agreement and refused to give up, despite what has at times been a long and challenging journey. When people organise, stand together and speak up for their working conditions, they can achieve real change. This agreement is clear proof of that.”
“The success at King is also the result of a strong partnership between Unionen and Engineers of Sweden. For many years, our unions have worked together to improve conditions in the tech and games industries, demonstrating that collective action can make a real difference.”
Henrik Jönsson, board member of the Unionen branch at King, added: “I am incredibly proud of our members. We have fought for a collective bargaining agreement for a long time, and at times the goal seemed far away. But we never gave up.
“The fact that we now have an agreement in place shows what is possible when colleagues unite around a common goal and continue to push the issue forward together.”
In response to the initial call to industrial action, King chief operating officer Ulrika Höjgård said the company “remained committed to continuing this respectful and transparent dialogue on important employee matters.”
In an email to employees in June, King president Todd Green said the decision to reject the CBA “was not made lightly.”
“[The decision] does not reflect any lack of respect for trade unions or for the Swedish labour model. We will continue to work with the trade union club in an open, respectful and constructive way, and we will continue to consult with trade unions where required.”