Professionals Australia – a union representing professional employees across a range of industries has established Game Workers Australia to represent employees working in the video game industry.
The launch of Game Workers Australia on 1 May 2022 in Sydney will coincide with International Workers’ Day, a day commemorating the historic struggles and gains made by workers and the labour movement.
For the first time in Australian history, video game workers will officially be part of a union that will support, advise, and represent them in their employment in the game industry.
Professionals Australia CEO Jill McCabe said that the formation of Game Workers Australia was an exciting development for everyone involved.
“After working with Game Workers Unite on this initiative over the past 18 months, I am delighted that we have formed Game Workers Australia to specifically represent game workers in Australia.
“I want to thank Tim Colwill and Maize Wallin of Game Workers Unite for their impressive advocacy and support of game workers and for pursuing formal industrial representation for game workers.
“The video game sector is worth over $3 billion dollars to the Australian economy every year so it’s vital that game workers have industrial representation and share in the wealth generated by this industry through better wages and conditions.”
Professionals Australia is a registered union that represents other workers in Australia’s digital industries, including information technology, engineering and software development.
“Game Workers Australia is a natural extension of our support for the workers who are powering Australia’s digital economy. We look forward to representing game workers, strengthening their standing in the game industry, and improving their pay and conditions.” McCabe said.
Tim Colwill of Game Workers Australia said that establishing this new partnership with Professionals Australia was a great achievement and the result of years of hard work.
“Since 2016 we have been working as a group of activists and volunteers to support and assist our members. Thanks to this partnership with Professionals Australia, we can now build the movement to the next level and really step up the fight for better pay and conditions.
“Like a growing number of professions, game workers are highly qualified and skilled, but wages are unsustainably low, the hours are long, and unpaid overtime is common. Many people burn out of our industry and leave before even making it to five years. We know that by working together, we can build something better.”
Maize Wallin of Game Workers Australia said that the industry primarily attracts and employs graduates and young professionals, but approximately half of the industry was also made up of contractors with no job security.
“As a professional freelancer and contractor myself, I know how hard it is to find support and advocacy in our industry. By being a specific group within Professionals Australia, game workers will have an industrial voice and be able to fight for better pay and conditions.
“We finally have a dedicated union for game workers that can advocate on the issues important to them.”
Game workers interested in joining Game Workers Australia can find out more information here: https://gameworkers.professionalsaustralia.org.au/
The official launch of Games Workers Australia will take place from 1:30pm, Sunday 1 May at Mothership Studios 18-22 Sydney Street, Marrickville