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Eugene

(61,595 posts)
Fri Apr 24, 2020, 01:19 PM Apr 2020

2nd French court orders Amazon to better protect workers

Source: Associated Press

2nd French court orders Amazon to better protect workers

By ANGELA CHARLTON
April 24, 2020

PARIS (AP) — Amazon is studying its next moves in France after an appeals court upheld a ruling saying the company hadn’t done enough to protect workers from the coronavirus.

Unions in France and beyond welcomed Friday’s ruling by the appeals court in Versailles as a comeuppance for the online behemoth, and expressed hope that negotiations with Amazon management on new safety measures can start next week.

The standoff has drawn global attention, as worldwide demand for Amazon’s services soars because confined consumers can no longer shop in stores.

Amazon shut all its French distribution centers last week, after a lower court ordered it to stop selling non-essential goods while it works out new safety measures with staff. Amazon argued that it was too complicated to separate out its activities, and appealed.

The appeals court upheld the overall requirement for Amazon to work out new safety measures. But it also expanded the products Amazon is allowed to sell, adding electronics, office and pet supplies. The original ruling only permitted sales of food and medical and cleaning supplies.

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Read more: https://apnews.com/c482d4d7bb6fe3dae7806c3798d10291

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Source: Reuters

BUSINESS NEWS APRIL 24, 2020 / 9:02 AM / UPDATED 23 MINUTES AGO

French court backs workers in Amazon row over virus measures

Mathieu Rosemain, Sarah White
4 MIN READ

PARIS (Reuters) - A French court on Friday rejected Amazon’s (AMZN.O) appeal against a ruling that restricts what it can deliver during the coronavirus crisis, handing a victory to unions which had criticised the U.S. e-commerce giant’s safety measures.

Amazon must limit deliveries in France to IT products, health items, food and pet food, the Court of Appeal in Versailles said, upholding a previous order for the firm to curtail shipments while it improves its health protocols.

The decision is a blow for thousands of small businesses that sell through Amazon, and comes as firms across Europe are trying to figure out how to let staff safely return to offices and factories once coronavirus restrictions are eased.

But unions behind the claim hailed the verdict as a “David against Goliath” moment, at a time when Amazon is seeing a surge in demand but also facing labour unrest on both sides of the Atlantic over its handling of deliveries during the pandemic.

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Read more: https://www.reuters.com/article/us-health-coronavirus-amazon-france/french-court-backs-workers-in-amazon-row-over-virus-measures-idUSKCN2261YQ
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