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An hour in the Oval Office with President Trump Fortune Editor-in-Chief: Alyson Shontell sat down with President Trump in the Oval Office for an hour. Tariffs, Intel, AI, Boeing, Iran—and the question every CEO eventually has to answer: who's next?

An hour in the Oval Office with President Trump Fortune Editor-in-Chief: Alyson Shontell sat down with President Trump in the Oval Office for an hour. Tariffs, Intel, AI, Boeing, Iran—and the question every CEO eventually has to answer: who's next?

An hour in the Oval Office with President Trump Fortune Editor-in-Chief: Alyson Shontell sat down with President Trump in the Oval Office for an hour. Tariffs, Intel, AI, Boeing, Iran—and the question every CEO eventually has to answer: who's next?

An hour in the Oval Office with President Trump Fortune Editor-in-Chief: Alyson Shontell sat down with President Trump in the Oval Office for an hour. Tariffs, Intel, AI, Boeing, Iran—and the question every CEO eventually has to answer: who's next?

An hour in the Oval Office with President Trump Fortune Editor-in-Chief: Alyson Shontell sat down with President Trump in the Oval Office for an hour. Tariffs, Intel, AI, Boeing, Iran—and the question every CEO eventually has to answer: who's next?

An hour in the Oval Office with President Trump Fortune Editor-in-Chief: Alyson Shontell sat down with President Trump in the Oval Office for an hour. Tariffs, Intel, AI, Boeing, Iran—and the question every CEO eventually has to answer: who's next?

An hour in the Oval Office with President Trump Fortune Editor-in-Chief: Alyson Shontell sat down with President Trump in the Oval Office for an hour. Tariffs, Intel, AI, Boeing, Iran—and the question every CEO eventually has to answer: who's next?

An hour in the Oval Office with President Trump Fortune Editor-in-Chief: Alyson Shontell sat down with President Trump in the Oval Office for an hour. Tariffs, Intel, AI, Boeing, Iran—and the question every CEO eventually has to answer: who's next?

An hour in the Oval Office with President Trump Fortune Editor-in-Chief: Alyson Shontell sat down with President Trump in the Oval Office for an hour. Tariffs, Intel, AI, Boeing, Iran—and the question every CEO eventually has to answer: who's next?

An hour in the Oval Office with President Trump Fortune Editor-in-Chief: Alyson Shontell sat down with President Trump in the Oval Office for an hour. Tariffs, Intel, AI, Boeing, Iran—and the question every CEO eventually has to answer: who's next?

worker safety

Amazon threatens to suspend deliveries in France over court order demanding coronavirus worker security upgrade

By
Helene Fouquet
Helene Fouquet
and
Bloomberg
Bloomberg
Down Arrow Button Icon
By
Helene Fouquet
Helene Fouquet
and
Bloomberg
Bloomberg
Down Arrow Button Icon
April 15, 2020, 8:15 AM ET

Amazon.com Inc. threatened to stop activity at its fulfillment centers in France after a court order banned the sale of non-essential goods, concluding the retailer isn’t doing enough to protect staff from the Covid-19 pandemic.

The $1.1 trillion company was given 24 hours on Tuesday to comply with the ruling to reduce its activity to sell only essential items such as food and hygiene products, and to upgrade its health security procedures. The company faces fines of 1 million euros ($1.1 million) for each day’s delay.

Amazon said it was considering lodging an appeal but such a move wouldn’t suspend the order that will be enforced on Wednesday early afternoon. Amazon said the court’s ruling “leaves us perplexed” since it said it has provided employees with security measures.

“Our interpretation suggests that we may be forced to suspend the activity of our distribution centers in France,” Amazon said in a statement. “The court gave categories that are very general and create ambiguity that would be too hard to implement, this is a complex business to run” a spokeswoman for Amazon told Bloomberg.

Representatives from the CFDT and CGT labor unions told Bloomberg the company informed employees that the activity at the six French fulfillment centers may stop as soon as Wednesday and resume Tuesday next week. Employees will be on a partial unemployment scheme, with full pay, the unions said they were told by Amazon. The company didn’t immediately comment on employment details.

Pressure on the Seattle-based giant to upgrade its health security plans has increased across its fulfillment centers. In France several workers have been tested positive for Covid-19. Labor minister Muriel Penicaud demanded late last month an improvement to the working environment for the firm’s employees, saying that “protection conditions are insufficient.”

“We believe it’s good news. It will give us time to negotiate more seriously and upgrade health safety measures,” said CFDT labor union representative Julien Vincent. “Employees are going on partial unemployment but paid 100%, the company told us. We must focus on our work conditions.”

Amazon “evidently failed to comply with obligations to protect the health of employees,” judges said in their Tuesday ruling. The court also said the retail platform should carry out a more thorough evaluation of the coronavirus risks in its warehouses.

The U.S. giant’s share price has been one of the standout performers as the pandemic forces store closures, amplifying e-commerce demand. Earlier this week, Amazon said it would hire an additional 75,000 workers in the U.S. The company already filled 100,000 previously announced temporary and full-time positions.

More coronavirus coverage from Fortune:

—How Fortune 500 companies are utilizing their resources and expertise during the pandemic
—Inside the surreal “Mask Economy”: Price-gouging, bidding wars, and armed guards
—When will stimulus checks be deposited or mailed? Ensure yours is not delayed
—Job hunting during a pandemic: How laid-off tech workers are faring
—How South Korea is preparing for the first nationwide election of the coronavirus era
—We need to protect whistleblowers as the coronavirus opens the door for bad actors
—There are 32 authorized coronavirus tests so far—here’s how they differ
—PODCAST: COVID-19 might have upended the concept of the best companies of the year
—VIDEO: 401(k) withdrawal penalties waived for anyone hurt by COVID-19

Subscribe to Outbreak, a daily newsletter roundup of stories on the coronavirus pandemic and its impact on global business. It’s free to get it in your inbox.

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