Amazon has shuttered all six of its distribution centers in France, delaying orders from being delivered in the country.
The decision came one day after a French court ruled that Amazon has not done enough in the country to protect its workers during the coronavirus pandemic. The complaint was originally brought by a French workers’ union.
“This week we are requesting employees of our distribution centers to stay at home,” Amazon said in a statement which appeared in The Guardian. “In the longer term we will evaluate the impact of that [court] decision for them and our French logistic network.”
The fulfillment centers will be closed from Thursday for five days. This is so that a deep clean can take place to “guarantee the health and safety of staff.” Approximately 10,000 full and part-time staff work in the warehouses. They will be paid during the closure.
More challenges for Amazon in France
That’s not the only disruption Amazon faces in France. An order put in place on Tuesday means that it must stop selling any non-essential goods for the next month. This is so that it can keep staff safe while working out new safety precautions. It is allowed to sell food, medicine, and hygiene supplies in the meantime. If it breaks these rules, it could face 1 million euros ($1.1 million) for every violation of the rule. Amazon is appealing the decision.
“The union action that led to the decision will likely have consequences for many people in the country,” an Amazon spokesperson said, “including our thousands of employees, customers who rely on us now more than ever, and the small local businesses that use Amazon to grow.”
Right now, this only applies to Amazon France. However, as the coronavirus pandemic continues there’s a possibility that similar complaints could be brought elsewhere in the world. Amazon employees in other countries have complained about some of the working conditions during the current COVID-19 spread. This week, it was reported that the first Amazon worker had died as a result of the COVID-19 coronavirus. Gerard Tuzara was an operations manager at a fulfillment center in Southern California.
Nonetheless, Amazon is thriving during the current lockdown as more and more people rely on online deliveries. Another report published by The Guardian Wednesday notes how customers have reportedly been spending almost $11,000 a second on Amazon products and services.
