Amazon will now reopen its six warehouses in France after reaching an agreement with the labour unions over safe operations amid the coronavirus pandemic. It will start reopening the warehouses on Tuesday, 19th May 2020.
The eCommerce giants had to shut down the warehouses after two French courts ruled in favor of the workers concerning inadequate protection. Amazon was accused of trying to sidestep the labour unions as they tried seeking better working conditions. The company put about 10,000 employees on paid furlough after the ruling.
The courts ordered Amazon to stop delivering “nonessential” items as part of measures to protect worker health. The ruling would have led to millions of euros in fines if the company had not complied. Amazon then shut the warehouses instead of risking the penalties.
“This situation was all about formal procedure, and there has been no significant change to the safety measures we had already put in place,” Amazon said in a statement.
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Amazon also confirms that it will drop its planned appeal at the French supreme court. It had said it had evidence that it was putting adequate safety measures in place prior to the ruling.
The reopening “is a positive step forward for French customers, for our French employees and for the many French S.M.E.s who rely on Amazon to grow their business,” Amazon added to its public statement.
In addition, the company explains that the deal “follows five weeks of discussions in which we have repeatedly provided clarification and information about the extensive safety measures already implemented at our fulfillment centers to keep our employees safe”.
It will be providing employee training on the safety measures starting on Monday 17th May 2020 as well.
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