Tech sector  is currently offering very little job security for workers. Gareth Murphy, Head of Industrial Relations and Campaigns with the Financial Services Union (FSU), has described the announcement by games company VELA that fifty staff are to potentially lose their jobs as disappointing and a worrying development for the games sector.

Mr Murphy has also called on Enterprise Ireland who have given financial assistance to the company to make a statement on the matter.

Gareth Murphy, on behalf of GWUI (a branch of the FSU), responded to the announcement today by saying:

“The FSU are supporting our GWUI members and staff in Vela as they handle this difficult news.

VELA have just launched a new game, so this announcement has come as a shock to workers.

Vela  has recruited  a lot of new staff over the last 18 months after successfully raising significant investment funds in 2021 including funding from Enterprise Ireland.

A worrying trend of employers letting staff go way too easily is emerging in the tech sector and now games. The tech sector  is currently offering very little job security for workers.

We are calling on the Government to review redundancy legislation with unions in order to make it harder for employers to make staff redundant and for Enterprise Ireland to meet with the Company.

While the Government is creating specific tax incentives for the games sector it is doing very little to increase the job security and working conditions for those in the sector and this needs to change.”

ENDS