Amazon is keeping six French distribution centres closed for the time being. This is what the US group has decided after an appeal to resume all operations was rejected by the French court.
Amazon was reprimanded by a French court a fortnight ago for allegedly failing to adequately protect staff in distribution centres from contamination. Since then, the e-commerce giant has only been allowed to ship essential goods, such as groceries and medical devices. Thereupon, Amazon decided to suspend all production activities in French distribution centres. The 10,000 employees were sent on paid leave.
Appeal
The company was hoping to get the green light to resume all operations on appeal. The French court did not go along with this. However, it did expand the list of goods allowed to be supplied to French consumers. The online giant is now also allowed to supply digital products, office supplies, pet supplies, drinks and personal care products. The fine amount per offence was also reduced, from €1 million to €100,000. This was not very hopeful, according to Amazon: the smallest offence could result in a fine of €1 billion a week. It therefore decided to keep its distribution centres closed until 5 May.
'Issue is not about security'
On Facebook, Amazon stresses that the distribution centres in France and the rest of the world are safe. According to the group, the issue is not about safety, but about the exercise of power by French unions. "We are proud of the many adjustments we have made in a coordinated way to ensure the safety of our teams while serving our customers in France and around the world. We believe that this decision is not in the interests of the French, our employees and the thousands of French businesses that rely on Amazon."
"Our customers can still order millions of products from independent companies selling on Amazon and through our global logistics network," the company concludes.
Image: Frederic Legrand - COMEO / Shutterstock.com
