米ゲーム大手で性差別横行、従業員がスト　ユーザーにもボイコット呼び掛け

【アーバインＡＦＰ＝時事】人気ゲーム「コール・オブ・デューティ」や「キャンディークラッシュ」を制作する米ゲーム大手アクティビジョン・ブリザードの従業員らが２８日、社内で横行する性差別とセクシュアルハラスメント（性的嫌がらせ）に抗議し、ストライキを決行した。オンライン上では、ユーザーに同社のゲームで遊ばないようボイコットを呼び掛けている。（写真は米カリフォルニア州ロサンゼルスで、ゲーム大手アクティビジョン・ブリザードの女性従業員の待遇改善を求めてストライキを決行する従業員ら）
　カリフォルニア州アーバインの社屋の外では、約２００人が抗議デモを実施。リモート勤務のスタッフにも業務放棄が呼び掛けられた。
　同社は先日、「性差別的な文化を助長し、女性の賃金を男性より低く設定していた」として、カリフォルニア州当局から州法違反で提訴された。これを受け、有害な職場環境に対する苦情が改めて噴出し、ストに発展した。
　従業員側は、ハラスメント被害の申し立てがあった際に会社が強制的に仲裁するのをやめること、雇用慣習を改善すること、多様性と男女平等に関するタスクフォースの設置を求める共同声明を発表。スト主催者によると、この声明には従業員約２６００人が署名した。
　カリフォルニア州公正雇用住宅局（ＤＦＥＨ）の訴状によれば、アクティビジョンの従業員のうち女性はわずか２０％で、管理職に就く女性はほとんどいない。また「管理職になっても、女性の給与や報奨金、報酬の総額は男性管理職よりも少ない」という。
　訴状には社内にまん延する不適切行為も詳細に記されており、複数の男性従業員が、同僚女性の体を触ったり、「女性の体についておおっぴらに話したり、レイプに関する冗談を口にしたり」しているという。
　会社側は当初、訴状には「会社の過去について、歪曲（わいきょく）された記述が含まれており、その多くは虚偽だ」として疑惑を否定していた。
　ストに先立ち、ボビー・コティック最高経営責任者（ＣＥＯ）は従業員に宛てた書簡で、会社の当初の対応は「率直に言って、鈍感だった」と認め、「被害申し立てを審査し、適切な処分を科すプロセスの一貫性を妨げてきたと確認された者は、誰であろうと解雇する」と述べた。【翻訳編集ＡＦＰＢＢＮｅｗｓ】
〔ＡＦＰ＝時事〕（2021/07/30-13:31）

Workers at video games giant Activision Blizzard walked out to protest sexism and harassment on Wednesday as a call went out online to boycott hit titles such as Call of Duty and Candy Crush.
The protest at Activision's campus in Irvine, California, came as the company launched what it promised would be a far-reaching review of its workplace practices.
About 200 people, some waving signs, gathered in the shade of trees flanking a driveway onto the campus. Passing cars honked in support.
Messages on signs included Women's Voices Matter and Play Nice Play Fair.
Messages were also written out on pieces of paper hung from a cord strung between a tree and a tent set up by protesters.
Employees of the gaming giant called for the protest, and work stoppages by remote workers, after claims of a pervasively toxic workplace reverberated in the wake of a state lawsuit.
Twitter chatter about the protest included the account @JakeEddyCarp posting a list of Activision Blizzard games so people boycott them in support of outraged employees.
The protest sparked a social media flurry of support from people in the gaming sector and elsewhere responding to the latest revelations about toxic workplace conditions.
Standing in solidarity with #ActiBlizzWalkout and all those who are working hard to make positive changes in the gaming industry, Twitter user Elvira wrote.
It?s heartbreaking to constantly hear about the abuse women face in this industry.
- 'Tone deaf' -
Chief executive Bobby Kotick issued a statement to his staff prior to the walkout acknowledging that the company's initial response had been quite frankly, tone deaf.
Anyone found to have impeded the integrity of our processes for evaluating claims and imposing appropriate consequences will be terminated, he said.
The company behind Call of Duty and World of Warcraft is facing a civil lawsuit in California over claims that it violated state laws because it fostered a sexist culture and paid women less than men.
I will be standing with my friends and colleagues in order to make our voices heard and demand real change, an Activision designer posted on Twitter under the name Zorbrix using the hashtag #ActiBlizzWalkout.
Together we are far stronger than alone.
A statement which organizers said was signed by some 2,600 employees called for an end to mandatory arbitration in harassment cases, improvements in recruiting practices and creation of a diversity and equity task force.
- Reviewing sexist content -
Kotick said in his statement that the Santa Monica-based company will continue to investigate each and every claim of sexism at Activision and will not hesitate to take decisive action.
Content from Activision's games criticized as sexist will also be removed following complaints from both staff and players, Kotick said, while listening sessions will be organized to allow staff to speak out and share areas for improvement.
The work stoppage of Activision employees at home and in offices was set to last throughout the work day Wednesday, with a live event during lunch hours at the Irvine campus.
Workers had blasted Activision Blizzard's initial response to a slew of sexism and harassment complaints in a letter calling its reaction abhorrent.
According to the lawsuit from the California Department of Fair Employment and Housing, women make up only about 20 percent of Activision's staff and very few women ever reach top roles at the company.
The women who do reach top roles earn less salary, incentive pay and total compensation than their male peers, it added.
The lawsuit also detailed widespread inappropriate behavior, describing male employees who groped women co-workers, talk openly about female bodies, and joke about rape.
Activision Blizzard had initially pushed back on the allegations, saying that the lawsuit includes distorted, and in many cases false, descriptions of Blizzard's past.
In cases related to misconduct, action was taken to address the issue, it said.
The game company said the Californian state agency had rushed to file an inaccurate complaint, as we will demonstrate in court.