Swedish developers of Candy Crush at King under Activision Blizzard have officially won a collective bargaining agreement (CBA) with management, just in time to avert a planned multi-union strike against the company.
In a press release from Swedish union Sveriges Ingenjörer (Engineers of Sweden) today, the union shared that both it and Unionen had signed a CBA today after over a year of negotiations with the company, and as a result, the notice of strike against King is being withdrawn. According to the release, “The new collective bargaining agreement means, among other things, that the employees at King will have better opportunities to influence their work situation. They also gain the right to organise and to receive information in good time when changes affecting the work are made, for example in the event of reorganisations or changed conditions.”
Kotaku understands that union members at King were sent an email from management today announcing the agreement, which will take effect on April 1, 2027. In the email, leadership said it had made this decision to alleviate uncertainty, and that it would be working with the unions in the lead-up to April to adjust the agreement in a way that makes sense for the company.
In Sweden, most workers have the ability to join a trade union representing their type of work at any time, and receive certain benefits from that. However, Candy Crush developers have formed what’s called a “union club” at King in order to negotiate a more specific CBA with the company that covers their needs more thoroughly. Back in August, King management announced to workers that it was declining to sign a CBA at all, saying that the company’s “current benefits offering is better for our employees” and that its “current operating model is the right fit for King, including our operations in Sweden, at this time.”
In response, trade unions Unionen and Sveriges Ingenjörer both called for a strike at King, and were joined by three other trade unions: Akademikerförbundet SSR, Naturvetarna, and DIK. The strike was planned to begin tomorrow if an agreement had not been reached, and arbiters were called in to mediate a solution, which the groups appear to have reached. With the CBA in place, the strike is being called off.
“This shows the power that comes from employees joining forces in their dedication for change and improvement. Without the fantastic engagement of our members at King, it would have been much more difficult to reach this agreement,” said Camilla Frankelius, head of negotiations at Sveriges Ingenjörer.
Kotaku has reached out to King for comment.
