Rockstar HR Manager Tells the Glasgow Tribunal He Had “Little Interest” in Staff’s Union Talk

Reported — this is Eurogamer’s account from the hearing at Glasgow Tribunals Centre on October 9. We have not seen a transcript, and the tribunal has not ruled.

Who was questioned: Charlie Kinloch, HR manager and co-studio operations director at Rockstar Lincoln. The claimants’ side put it to him that an anonymous employee, called “AB” in the hearing, sent him messages from a staff Discord about union organising, leaflets and workplace complaints, and that those messages were later used in part to dismiss staff.

His answer, as reported: he had a “broad” interest in unionisation where it affected line managers but “little interest” in union conversations between employees; his priority was disparagement and misinformation about Rockstar. He rejected the suggestion that the messages identified individuals as union members, and disputed that an earlier statement of his was meant to mislead the court.

On the 18-month gap, Eurogamer quotes him: “I viewed those messages with the scrutiny Rockstar Games was under in the run up to GTA6, which was unprecedented.” He said that if the comments became public they could “deal the company damage.”

The limit of this story: these are one side’s allegations and one witness’s answers on a single day. The former employees, represented by the IWGB, say they were dismissed for union activity; Rockstar says it was gross misconduct and the leaking of confidential information. Eurogamer says the hearing continues next week with former employees due to attend.