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Ubisoft Employees In France have gone on a Strike

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Re: Ubisoft Employees In France have gone on a Strike

#51

Post by BiteCode_dev »

johnnyanmac wrote: post #43
reaperman wrote: post #23

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> It WOULD work, but alas, you don't do it. This is also why the USA has all those anti-strike laws. My mom did it reasonably often as a teacher. The state made it illegal for her to ever strike again. Maybe not being willing to go to jail for refusing to work is why she doesn't do it? It's crazy to me that the law is basically "show up to work for whatever we decide to pay you, or go to jail" (via contempt of court,…

I don't want to be dramatic here so don't read too deeply into the comparison: I'm sure black people weren't willing to go to jail either some 60 years ago. Or worse. Most of the biggest change was achieved with the biggest sacrifice. If they throw teachers in jail over not doing their job, the state loses in the long term. If enough refuse to do it they have to bargain, illegal or not. And it wouldn't take long sinc…

The problem is you have to sacrifice to fight against the move of people that take no risk. It's a very unfair battle.

Re: Ubisoft Employees In France have gone on a Strike

#52

Post by phantomathkg »

kevmo wrote: post #7
romantomjak wrote: post #5

I'm consistently impressed by French solidarity to just go on a strike until they get their government (or a company in this case) to start treating them fairly. I wish that could work in the UK, but alas, we don't do that here.

To nitpick: It WOULD work, but alas, you don't do it. This is also why the USA has all those anti-strike laws, especially regarding railroads.

> This is also why the USA has all those anti-strike laws, especially regarding railroads.

And the people suffer?

Re: Ubisoft Employees In France have gone on a Strike

#53

Post by ponector »

reaperman wrote: post #23
kevmo wrote: post #7

Earlier quoted context omitted.

To nitpick: It WOULD work, but alas, you don't do it. This is also why the USA has all those anti-strike laws, especially regarding railroads.

> It WOULD work, but alas, you don't do it. This is also why the USA has all those anti-strike laws. My mom did it reasonably often as a teacher. The state made it illegal for her to ever strike again. Maybe not being willing to go to jail for refusing to work is why she doesn't do it? It's crazy to me that the law is basically "show up to work for whatever we decide to pay you, or go to jail" (via contempt of court,…

Either accept current treatment or quit.

It is fascinating how on individual level everyone wants better education for their children but as society people do the opposite.

Government and their voters are not interested in paying more or in better educated children.

In the end dumb people are easier to manipulate to do "right and only correct" decision on the election day.

Re: Ubisoft Employees In France have gone on a Strike

#54

Post by NicoJuicy »

isodev wrote: post #16
Hamuko wrote: post #12

Earlier quoted context omitted.

What sorts of salary should French software engineers be making then? $80k? $100k? $200k?

The expectation is that salaries are periodically adapted to improve people's "purchase power". In Belgium for example, the yearly "indexation" of salaries is mandatory with a minimum of the inflation value from the previous year.

We also have the highest taxes in the world. So the government gets as much ( or more) benefit as the employee.

Eoy bonus for having dinner a good work is almost pointless here. Since more than halve goes to the government.

Re: Ubisoft Employees In France have gone on a Strike

#55

Post by johnnyanmac »

lastdong wrote: post #32

This is remarkable. It's terrible to see how in some creative industries the workforce is managed, with hiring and firing practices. However, it would be great if the industry could adopt a more sustainable approach that benefits both the employees and the company's growth in the long run.

I don't want to be crude, but the sustainable approach is accepting that a company won't grow every year for forever. When did the behavior of the stock market become so fixated on this? Was it always this way?

In this case it's even simpler: Ubisoft literally didn't want to pay a CoL adjustment raise this year. Nor last year. Despite reporting better than average earnings. But because this is the EU section they can't do a mass layoff like they have and will do for the US/CA studios. So... Don't shortchange talent less money despite earning the company more money and having more experience in operating your products

Re: Ubisoft Employees In France have gone on a Strike

#56

Post by Irishsteve »

silisili wrote: post #42
madsbuch wrote: post #28

Earlier quoted context omitted.

French employees are generelle low paid in cash. however, a big part of the compensation is through labor protection - something that is not worth a lot to a software developer. currently, France had a serious issue with brain drain. software developers move to Germany or the UK to get higher salaries. This gives a situation where all advanced jobs move out while simpler job stay back with really expensive labor prot…

How are social protections for say, losing a job, health emergencies, and retirement? 90% of my drive for more and more money is the fear of long term unemployment and knowing there's nobody to come save me. If that fear didn't exist, I'd probably work for half the price to be honest.

Then move to France or Scandinavia. I'd suggest Norway since they have a huge oil reserve so the country can sustain its current population.

Re: Ubisoft Employees In France have gone on a Strike

#57

Post by neilkk »

INTPenis wrote: post #14
askonomm wrote: post #11

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Is 60k bad? Pretty sure it's the average salary in the entire Europe.

It's pretty low for a software engineer, this is coming from a Swede. I know people inside Ubisoft and they have notoriously low salaries. I work in telco and we pay our developers more than Ubisoft does.

There are millions of young people who dream of working in video games and very few who dream of writing software for a bank or a Telco.

It seems to make sense that there should be a pay disparity.

Re: Ubisoft Employees In France have gone on a Strike

#58

Post by bionsystem »

romantomjak wrote: post #5

I'm consistently impressed by French solidarity to just go on a strike until they get their government (or a company in this case) to start treating them fairly. I wish that could work in the UK, but alas, we don't do that here.

In France striking is a fundamental right just like marching (assuming you make the demand to the authorities and it gets accepted). However what I dislike about the situation is that everybody strikes and manifests for his own core interest separately. I think we should really get into a more coordinated effort. Most of those strikes have failed.

Re: Ubisoft Employees In France have gone on a Strike

#59

Post by realusername »

madsbuch wrote: post #28
zooq_ai wrote: post #9

French Software Engineers make $60k per year. I'm sure they wonder why and think striking / unionizing is the answer

French employees are generelle low paid in cash. however, a big part of the compensation is through labor protection - something that is not worth a lot to a software developer. currently, France had a serious issue with brain drain. software developers move to Germany or the UK to get higher salaries. This gives a situation where all advanced jobs move out while simpler job stay back with really expensive labor prot…

> French employees are generelle low paid in cash. however, a big part of the compensation is through labor protection - something that is not worth a lot to a software developer.

If the public services were much better than everywhere else the high taxation system might hold up but they clearly aren't, I would not put France in the European top 10 at this metric.

France need either to make people feel they are actually paying for something or reduce the taxation level.

Re: Ubisoft Employees In France have gone on a Strike

#60

Post by reaperman »

whimsicalism wrote: post #41
reaperman wrote: post #23

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> It WOULD work, but alas, you don't do it. This is also why the USA has all those anti-strike laws. My mom did it reasonably often as a teacher. The state made it illegal for her to ever strike again. Maybe not being willing to go to jail for refusing to work is why she doesn't do it? It's crazy to me that the law is basically "show up to work for whatever we decide to pay you, or go to jail" (via contempt of court,…

Generally if it is an illegal strike, it means you can be legally fired, not that you will be taken to jail.

https://twitter.com/DeAngelisCorey/status/174983534283890689...

Jail is always an option when someone is subject to contempt of court. In other states it's the individual teachers who get automatically fined, not the union. Contempt of court could also apply to the individuals if the judge wanted to make it so.

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