This week, a cohort of former Rockstar employees were denied interim relief at a preliminary UK employment tribunal after alleging they were unfairly dismissed for engaging in trade union activity.
After those workers were fired in November 2025, UK trade union IWGB claimed Rockstar had perpetrated the “most blatant and ruthless act of union busting in the history of the games industry” and took legal action against the Grand Theft Auto maker.
Rockstar said it dismissed those employees for “distributing and discussing confidential information in a public forum” in reference to a Discord channel union workers had used to support their organization efforts.
“This was in no way related to people’s right to join a union or engage in union activities,” added Rockstar in a statement issued last year.
The fired union workers’ case against Rockstar will head to a full hearing in the UK later this year (a date has yet to be confirmed), but this week their attempt to secure interim relief in the form of wages and some working visas was quashed. People Make Games has published a terrific breakdown of the evidence presented throughout for those interested in hearing how both sides argued their case.
IWGB described the outcome as “disappointing” but said its members remain hopeful of “winning justice” when the full hearing takes place. Rockstar welcomed the decision, which it said was “consistent” with its own position.
But what is interim relief in the UK and how exactly does it work?
It’s a question I’ve seen asked a number of times in the wake of this week’s ruling. To provide some clarity, I reached out to Kuits specialist employment solicitor, Jake McManus, who has broken the mechanism down for our readers.
“Interim relief is rarely sought and even more rarely granted, primarily because it is only available in very limited circumstances, including where an employee alleges to be dismissed due to trade union activity or for whistleblowing,” McManus told Game Developer.
“It is not available to employees who are otherwise dismissed unfairly or in discrimination cases, both of which make up the vast majority of claims brought in the Employment Tribunal. Put simply, the circumstances in which an application for interim relief may be available just do not occur very often. Applications for interim relief must also be made within 7 days of the dismissal, so many employees will be out of time before they even consider whether an application can or should be made.”
“An unsuccessful application is not fatal for the unfair dismissal claim itself”
The fact that interim relief can only be sought in select circumstances, including instances of alleged union busting, explains why the fired Rockstar workers were able to seek it out. Why, though, is the bar for success during an interim relief hearing higher than the bar for a positive outcome at a full hearing?
Simply put: a positive outcome for employees seeking interim relief could be incredibly costly for employers, especially in a climate where a backlog of tribunals means some cases could take years to reach a resolution.
“If successful, a dismissed employee can be reinstated or remain on full pay until their unfair dismissal claim is dealt with. Given the current backlog in the Tribunal system we could be talking years: an unfair dismissal claim issued today is unlikely to reach a final hearing until 2027 or 2028,” added McManus.
“It is therefore a very powerful weapon in an employee’s armory and can be very costly for an employer. What is more, if the employee goes on to lose their unfair dismissal claim then there is no obligation to reimburse the employer for any pay. Interim relief is ultimately a draconian measure for Tribunals to deploy and that is why it is rarely granted.”
Discussing that threshold for success, McManus noted that interim relief will only be granted when a tribunal feels a claimant is “likely” to demonstrate the principal reason for their dismissal is one of the “very limited circumstances” detailed above—i.e. union busting or whistleblowing. That means employees must establish they have a “pretty good chance of success” when seeking interim relief as opposed to simply a “reasonable prospect of success.”
Crucially, McManus explained an unsuccessful interim relief application does not mean an unfair dismissal claim is doomed to fail—though it would certainly improve its chances of success.
“If the employee is successful with their application for interim relief then it is likely that they will be successful with the claim itself,” he added. “It also signals to the parties that the claimants have a strong case, and given that the employer is affected financially by the decision to grant interim relief, it can encourage settlement. However, an unsuccessful application is not fatal for the unfair dismissal claim itself.”
In the case of the interim relief tribunal between the ousted Rockstar workers and their former employer, McManus said the judge overseeing proceedings was simply unconvinced at this stage that Rockstar’s decision to dismiss those employees was “most likely” due to trade union activity. As we have already established, though, a positive outcome for employees at this point in the process is rare, and McManus said the ruling doesn’t mean the judge believed the dismissals were fair or that fair process was followed.
