FILE PHOTO: A truck bearing the Amazon Prime emblem arrives on the Amazon logistics middle in Lauwin-Planque, northern France, March 19, 2020. REUTERS/Pascal Rossignol
PARIS (Reuters) – Amazon stated on Wednesday it might briefly shut its warehouses in France after a court docket ordered the e-commerce large to restrict deliveries within the nation to important items like meals and medical provides.
The U.S. firm is going through mounting scrutiny on each side of the Atlantic of the well being measures it has put in place to guard workers from the coronavirus pandemic whereas it strives to fulfill a surge in orders as most outlets stay beneath lockdown.
In a ruling on Tuesday, the French court docket stated Amazon needed to perform a extra thorough evaluation of the chance of coronavirus contagion at its warehouses and will limit its deliveries within the meantime, or face a fantastic.
“We’re puzzled by the court docket ruling given the laborious proof introduced ahead relating to safety measures put in place to guard our workers”, Amazon stated in an announcement.
“Our interpretation means that we could also be pressured to droop the exercise of our distribution centres in France,” the group stated, including it will attraction the choice.
Amazon at the moment employs near 10,000 individuals at its six French warehouses, 6,500 of whom are on everlasting contracts, based on the court docket choice.
Some employee unions have known as for the whole closure of Amazon’s actions in France, or on the very least a clampdown, after elevating issues over well being requirements at its delivery websites, arguing they have been too crowded.
Reporting by Sarah White and Mathieu Rosemain; Extra reporting by Gwénaëlle Barzic; Enhancing by Kirsten Donovan and Mark Potter
