Paradox Interactive to Sign Collective Bargaining Agreement with Labor Unions
Unionen and SACO Join with Games Publisher to Secure Benefits and Set Standards at All Paradox Studios across Sweden
STOCKHOLM - June 3, 2020- Paradox Interactive, a publisher and developer of games that are collectively a bargain, today announced the impending completion of a collective agreement between the company and its employees’ labor unions, Unionen and SACO. Under the terms of the agreement, Paradox employees have a formalized means of influencing their pay, benefits, responsibilities, and more. The agreement will apply to all Paradox employees working at locations within Sweden as of its implementation, expected to be finalized within the quarter.
“In the 20-plus years we’ve been in operation, Paradox has always been a growing company, but that growth has been especially dramatic in the last few years,” said Marina Hedman, Chief Human Resources Officer at Paradox Interactive. “An organization of our size has different needs, and we must ensure that our employees continue to feel valued and empowered to shape our company, even as our structure shifts towards larger teams and projects. We’re proud, both as a Swedish company and as a member of the games industry, to add our name to the roster of companies who support unionization.”
The agreement helps enshrine a number of current Paradox company standards, ensuring that employee benefits, paths to career growth, and salary expectations continue to meet everybody’s needs. The agreement will apply to Paradox’s studios located within Sweden, including Paradox Interactive, Paradox Development Studio, Paradox Arctic, and Paradox Malmö.
“Much like Paradox itself, the unions here have been growing massively in the past few years, gradually becoming more and more organized. This is a clear sign that our efforts have resulted in meaningful change. We're very glad that the company agrees with us on the benefits of a collective agreement and that we're signing this together,” said Magne Skjæran, Games Programmer at Paradox Development Studio and Union Representative for Unionen. “With this agreement in place, we will be further empowered to advocate for our members here at Paradox, and contribute to making it the best place to work in the industry. We hope it will inspire people to organize in video game companies the world over.”
For more information about Unionen, visit https://www.unionen.se/.
For more information about SACO, visit https://www.saco.se/.
For more information about Paradox Interactive, visit https://www.paradoxinteractive.com/.
For additional information, please contact:
Ebba Ljungerud, CEO Paradox Interactive
Alexander Bricca, CFO Paradox Interactive
Email: ir@paradoxinteractive.com
Phone: +4670-355 54 18
About Paradox Interactive
The Paradox group today consists of both publishing and internal development of games and brands. The game portfolio includes more than 100 titles and Paradox owns the most important brands, including Stellaris, Europa Universalis, Hearts of Iron, Crusader Kings, Cities: Skylines, Prison Architect, Magicka, Age of Wonders and the World of Darkness catalogue of brands. From the start 2004, the company has published its games all over the world, initially through physical distribution but since 2006 primarily in digital channels. Paradox games are developed primarily for PC and console platforms, but the company also releases games on mobile. The largest markets today include the US, UK, China, Germany, France, Russia and Scandinavia. Today, over four million gamers play a Paradox game each month and the number of registered Paradox users exceeds twelve million.
Paradox Interactive AB (publ)’s shares are listed on Nasdaq Stockholm First North Premier under ticker PDX. Certified Advisor: FNCA Sweden AB, info@fnca.se, +46-8-528 00 399. For more information, please visit www.paradoxinteractive.com.