The Communications Workers of America (CWA) has filed an unfair labor charge against Activision Blizzard, and alleges the publisher told employees they shouldn't discuss their working conditions in digital channels such as Slack.

As spotted by The Verge, the complaint claims Activision Blizzard "has engaged in and is engaging in unfair labor practises" after a manager "threatened employees" to prevent them talking about issues relating to wage hours and working conditions.

The CWA, which filed the unfair labor charge (PDF version) on April 28, 2022, claims such behaviour violates sections 8(a)(1) (2) (3) and (4) of the National Labor Relations Act.

Activision Blizzard is in crisis mode after an onslaught of misconduct allegations -- including some against senior figures like CEO Bobby Kotick -- and government investigations into an alleged "frat boy" culture at the Call of Duty publisher.

Despite the sense of cultural malaise enveloping the company, Microsoft is currently attempting to purchase Activision Blizzard in a deal worth $68.7 billion. 

Last week, Activision Blizzard shareholders approved Microsoft's offer, meaning regulators can now pass judgement on the mammoth acquisition.