In recent years, and due to issues related to labor exploitation, contractual matters, and strained labor relations, workers in the video game industry in the United States and parts of Europe have opted for labor organization, and in some cases, unions have been formed. As these movements progress, attention turns to major companies, and recently, Doug Bowser of Nintendo spoke about the issue.
The President of Nintendo of America talks about unions in the video game industry
During an interview with Inverse, Doug Bowser, President of Nintendo of America, was asked about the company's stance on the advancement of worker organizations in the video game industry. In response, he mentioned that there are no unions at Nintendo, but this is not because the company is opposed to their formation. Instead, he believes they are unnecessary within the company-employee relationship because the employees are highly satisfied.
Nintendo will respect the formation of unions if it occurs at its US headquarters
In this regard, Doug Bowser stated: "We currently do not have unions in Nintendo of America, and part of that is because of the feedback from employees that shows a high degree of job satisfaction and overall commitment. Just look at our retention numbers, which are very, very high within the industry, and our turnover rate is obviously low as a result. Our focus has always been on creating a culture that is inclusive, that has a work-life balance, and that focuses on our unique mission of bringing smiles."
Furthermore, the President of Nintendo of America acknowledged the progress of the unionization process in the US video game industry and stated that if it ever happens, they will only respect the workers' rights to organize. He said, "Everyone has the right to form a union, and certainly in the future, wherever it takes us, we will respect that. But right now, we are very focused on how to create the best possible culture and work environment. We always listen to our workers and want to make sure we have formal and informal processes for obtaining feedback from employees and understanding their needs and areas of improvement. We always act based on that feedback. As I said before, there is always the right to form unions, and we respect that."
While this is happening at Nintendo of America, at Microsoft, the company behind Xbox, the acquisition of Activision Blizzard King has brought the topic of unionization to the table, as there are already some unions formed. In response, Satya Nadella's company reaffirmed its commitment to labor neutrality, respecting the workers' rights.
Stay tuned here at LEVEL UP.
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