Source: The Guardian

Google DeepMind has agreed to enter formal talks at the Advisory, Conciliation and Arbitration Service (Acas) with the Communications Workers Union (CWU) and Unite after workers at its London headquarters voted this month to make a bid to unionise. The talks were announced in a staff email on 20 May 2026 that said Acas discussions “may lead to a formal ballot in a few months’ time,” giving eligible employees the chance to vote on union representation. DeepMind declined voluntary recognition for collective bargaining on pay, hours and holiday but framed Acas as a standard next step while reiterating respect for employees’ labour rights.

The company faces a court challenge from a DeepMind AI researcher of Palestinian heritage who alleges he was wrongfully dismissed after protesting the company’s work for the Israeli government; Google disputes his account of his departure. Hundreds of staff have signed petitions expressing concern about the use of DeepMind’s AI by the US and Israeli defence and intelligence services, a worry amplified after DeepMind’s 2025 decision to drop a commitment not to allow its technologies to be used in harmful weapons or surveillance that violated international norms. Statements quoted include a DeepMind spokesperson explaining the refusal of voluntary recognition but willingness to meet at Acas, and a CWU source calling the Acas move a concession to serious shopfloor issues, including relationships with drone technology, the Israeli government and the US military.