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Bloomberg
Amazon.com Inc was handed a French ban on sales of non-essential items after losing the first round of a court fight with labour unions who said the company wasn’t doing enough to protect staff from the Covid-19 pandemic.
Amazon said in a statement it’s appealing the ruling, a move that suspends the court’s decision.
The world’s biggest online retailer was initially given
24 hours to comply with the ruling by the court in Nanterre, close to Paris, or risk symbolic fines of 1 million euros ($1.1 million) for each day’s delay.
“We disagree with today’s decision by the Nanterre court and are currently assessing its implications for our French logistics sites,†Amazon said.
“We will also continue to work with all stakeholders and provide the necessary clarifications as we have done since the beginning of this unprecedented crisis.â€
Despite the appeal, the ruling is a signal that French authorities are paying close attention to workers’ security. Unions in the nation echoed concerns in Spain and the US where employees demanded facilities be brought in line with stricter health security standards.
Amazon “evidently failed to comply with obligations to protect the health of employees,†judges said in their ruling. The court also said the retail platform should carry out a more thorough ealuation of the coronavirus risks in its warehouses.
In France, where several workers have been tested positive for Covid-19, pressure also came from the
government.