• Latest
  • Trending
  • All
  • News
  • Business
  • Politics
  • Science
  • World
  • Lifestyle
  • Tech
Amazon Loses Appeal of French Order to Stop Selling Nonessential Items

Amazon Loses Appeal of French Order to Stop Selling Nonessential Items

April 24, 2020
The Artists Dismantling the Barriers Between Rap and Poetry

The Artists Dismantling the Barriers Between Rap and Poetry

March 4, 2021
Pompeo teases 2024 run: ‘I’m always up for a good fight’

Pompeo teases 2024 run: ‘I’m always up for a good fight’

March 4, 2021
‘Boogie’ Review: There’s No Laughing in Basketball

‘Boogie’ Review: There’s No Laughing in Basketball

March 4, 2021
‘They’re Fighting Blind.’ Inside the Biden Administration’s Uphill Battle Against Far-Right Extremism

‘They’re Fighting Blind.’ Inside the Biden Administration’s Uphill Battle Against Far-Right Extremism

March 4, 2021
‘Truth or Consequences’ Review: Ghost Town at the End of the World

‘Truth or Consequences’ Review: Ghost Town at the End of the World

March 4, 2021
‘Gustav Stickley: American Craftsman’ Review: Artisanal Admiration

‘Gustav Stickley: American Craftsman’ Review: Artisanal Admiration

March 4, 2021
Coronavirus budget lines up Rishi Sunak for tricky relaunch of his political brand

Coronavirus budget lines up Rishi Sunak for tricky relaunch of his political brand

March 4, 2021
‘The SpongeBob Movie: Sponge on the Run’ Review: Still Square

‘The SpongeBob Movie: Sponge on the Run’ Review: Still Square

March 4, 2021
‘The Walrus and the Whistleblower’ Review: The Fight to Free a Friend

‘The Walrus and the Whistleblower’ Review: The Fight to Free a Friend

March 4, 2021
Syrian pair appear in German court over filmed ‘execution’

Syrian pair appear in German court over filmed ‘execution’

March 4, 2021
‘Chaos Walking’ Review: Just Thinking Out Loud

‘Chaos Walking’ Review: Just Thinking Out Loud

March 4, 2021
‘My Salinger Year’ Review: Ghost Writers

‘My Salinger Year’ Review: Ghost Writers

March 4, 2021
DNYUZ
  • Home
  • News
    • U.S.
    • World
    • Politics
    • Opinion
    • Business
    • Crime
    • Education
    • Environment
    • Science
  • Entertainment
    • Culture
    • Music
    • Movie
    • Television
    • Theater
    • Gaming
    • Sports
  • Tech
    • Apps
    • Autos
    • Gear
    • Mobile
    • Startup
  • Lifestyle
    • Arts
    • Fashion
    • Food
    • Health
    • Travel
No Result
View All Result
DNYUZ
No Result
View All Result
Home News Business

Amazon Loses Appeal of French Order to Stop Selling Nonessential Items

April 24, 2020
in Business, News
Amazon Loses Appeal of French Order to Stop Selling Nonessential Items
527
SHARES
1.5k
VIEWS
Share on FacebookShare on Twitter

PARIS — Amazon lost an appeal on Friday of a French court decision ordering the e-commerce giant to stop delivering nonessential items in France during the coronavirus crisis to protect workers, raising questions about the immediate future of its business in the country.

The Versailles Court of Appeals upheld a lower-court ruling made last week that prompted Amazon to shutter its six mammoth warehouses around France for a week and put its 10,000 workers on paid furlough.

Under the ruling, Amazon can deliver only health items, food and pet food and electronics until it carries out a risk evaluation of its sites with French unions, which have clashed with Amazon for refusing to engage with them on health protocols to protect employees from the threat of the virus at Amazon’s warehouses.

The court said Amazon would be fined 100,000 euros, or around $108,000 for every delivery not meeting the requirement. The court said it would review Amazon’s progress in a month.

In a statement, Amazon said it had “taken note of the outcome” and remained “perplexed” by the decision. It added in a statement on Twitter that it was assessing the consequences for its business and employees in France, as well as the impact on its consumers and the numerous small and midsize French businesses that sell on its platform.

The decision Friday raises the stake for Amazon in France, where unions wield outsize power and have been leveraging the coronavirus crisis to press companies on employee rights. Amazon also faces mounting scrutiny in the United States over the effectiveness of safety measures it has used to protect employees from the coronavirus while trying to meet a huge demand for orders.

Amazon last week criticized French unions that brought the court case, saying it had provided “concrete evidence” that it had worked to strengthen safety measures at warehouses around France. Frederic Duval, the chief executive of Amazon France, told French television last week that the company had spent “colossal amounts” on health precautions, including sanitary gels and face masks.

The lower French court did not order Amazon to shut its French warehouses, but the online giant decided to do so because the court threatened it with a 1 million euro fine for every day that it did not comply with the ruling.

Employees were told to stay home, and Amazon informed customers in France that their orders would be fulfilled by warehouses in Germany, Belgium and other European countries.

The ruling Friday still allows Amazon to deliver a restricted array of products from its French warehouses, but requires it to restart its whole risk assessment of the warehouses in consultation with the unions.

The Versailles court upheld the lower court’s ruling that Amazon had not provided adequate sanitary conditions in certain areas of the workplace, including locker rooms and entrances. It also upheld a union demand that Amazon take into account the mental well-being of employees working under fear of getting sick, including reorganizing work schedules and work teams to alleviate duress.

The ruling pointed to a critical dilemma facing companies during the pandemic, said Lionel Vuidard, a labor lawyer at the Paris office of Linklaters law firm.

“The decision raises the question of: How do you balance two principles, which is protecting the health and safety of employees while keeping the business running and preserving jobs?” Mr. Vuidard said.

One way or another, the court ruling Friday was “stringent,” Mr. Vuidard said. Amazon had put in place a number of measures to preserve the health and safety of its employees, but it nonetheless failed to consult with employee representatives and labor unions — a condition of doing business in France.

Not everyone is happy with the union’s lawsuit. Many workers are worried about losing their jobs with Amazon at a time when the French economy has been hammered by a monthlong quarantine to contain the virus. This week, around 15,000 workers signed a petition urging the reopening of distribution centers.

“The unions didn’t ask us what we thought,” said Priscilla Soares, one of two employees at an Amazon site in northern France, who started the petition.

The post Amazon Loses Appeal of French Order to Stop Selling Nonessential Items appeared first on New York Times.

Share211Tweet132Share

Trending Posts

Invested in Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion? You Better Be Ready To Prove It

Invested in Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion? You Better Be Ready To Prove It

March 4, 2021
‘Stray’ Review: Nothing but a Hound Dog

‘Stray’ Review: Nothing but a Hound Dog

March 4, 2021
Once omnipresent Kushner now MIA from Trump’s political pack

Once omnipresent Kushner now MIA from Trump’s political pack

March 4, 2021
‘Raya and the Last Dragon’ Review: Fool Me Once

‘Raya and the Last Dragon’ Review: Fool Me Once

March 4, 2021
German panel OKs AstraZeneca vaccine jab for over 65s

German panel OKs AstraZeneca vaccine jab for over 65s

March 4, 2021

Copyright © 2020.

Site Navigation

  • About
  • Advertise
  • Privacy & Policy
  • Contact

Follow Us

No Result
View All Result
  • Home
  • News
    • U.S.
    • World
    • Politics
    • Opinion
    • Business
    • Crime
    • Education
    • Environment
    • Science
  • Entertainment
    • Culture
    • Gaming
    • Music
    • Movie
    • Sports
    • Television
    • Theater
  • Tech
    • Apps
    • Autos
    • Gear
    • Mobile
    • Startup
  • Lifestyle
    • Arts
    • Fashion
    • Food
    • Health
    • Travel

Copyright © 2020.

We use cookies on our website to give you the most relevant experience by remembering your preferences and repeat visits. By clicking “Accept”, you consent to the use of ALL the cookies.
Cookie settingsACCEPT
Privacy & Cookies Policy

Privacy Overview

This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. Out of these cookies, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. But opting out of some of these cookies may have an effect on your browsing experience.
Necessary
Always Enabled

Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. This category only includes cookies that ensures basic functionalities and security features of the website. These cookies do not store any personal information.

Non-necessary

Any cookies that may not be particularly necessary for the website to function and is used specifically to collect user personal data via analytics, ads, other embedded contents are termed as non-necessary cookies. It is mandatory to procure user consent prior to running these cookies on your website.

SAVE & ACCEPT