A brand new union for those working in the games industry has launched. 

Variety reports that the new venture is called United Videogame Workers, and it has been formed with the backing of the Communications Workers of America (CWA) and the American Federation of Musicians (AFM). 

The organisation's mission statement says that it hopes to "take back our lives, our labour and our passion" from higher-ups in the industry and to work with those who have been laid off, those who work as contractors or freelancers, as well as the "disenfranchised and the marginalised". 

“The creation of this union was not done in isolation; it’s a cumulative effort by the thousands of video game workers who have been fighting for years to redefine what it means to stand together and reclaim power in one of the largest and highest-grossing industries on the globe,” said the CWA’s senior director of organising, Tom Smith. 

“These workers are taking a bold stand, joining together to build power for the workers behind the games we all know and love.”

CWA president Claude Cummings Jr added: “The formation of United Video Game Workers-CWA is an exciting next step in our union’s work to help video game workers build power in their industry. As video game studios have consolidated, the workers whose creativity, dedication, and skill bring the games to life have become more an afterthought. They are subject to endless cycles of layoffs and rehiring as corporate executives pursue short-term profits at the expense of a sustainable future.”